Caged
by MustangLover97
Summary: An animal trainer, Lily Rivers, has been recruited to join the GI Joe.  Except for one problem: She has a bad past with the military and isn't exactly keen on helping them.  This is my first fanfic! Reviews are always welcome! Rated T just to be safe.
1. The Pickup

Lily turned slowly, watching the young, jet black filly trot around the areana on the lunge line. "Take it easy Night. We're not in a race here," she said gently, a hint of laughter in her voice. The filly just tossed her head, prancing slightly. Lily shook her head, chuckling. "Silly filly," she mused. She tucked a stray piece of her deep, chocolate brown hair behind her ear, keeping the filly in sight. After a few more minutes she gave a low whistle, her signal for the filly to slow to a stop. Lily walked towards Nightlock and undid the lunge line from her halter. She started to walk away, hearing the dainty hoofsteps of Night behind her. She smiled, knowing that the filly's training would be done within a few more weeks.

She opened up the barn door before standing off to the side. Nightlock trotted right inside and into her stall. Lily followed close behind, shutting the stall door before going to get her feed. Her German Shepherd, Macy, trotted at her heels, her one floppy ear bouncing slightly as she walked. Lily chuckled. "Hey Macy. How you doin' girl?" She stroked the dog's smooth back before taking the feed bucket and dumping it into Nightlock's manger. The filly almost immediately started to eat, flicking her ears. Lily smiled. "You're welcome," she said, straightning her mane from over the door before going to feed her other three horses. If it was one thing she loved, it was training her animals. Some people called her the greatest trainer around, being able to talk to animals and all. Lily had always said that she didn't talk to the animals, she just understood what and how they were feeling due to their body language. Heck, she could just as easily read a person as she could a horse, or a dog, or a bird, or any other animal. Lily sighed heavily before grabbing the rest of the feed buckets and pouring them into the other horses' mangers. Then, she went outside to the paddock and opened up the gate, giving a shrill whistle. Not even two seconds had passed before she was able to see the grey, chestnut, and white horses galloping towards the gate. Lily moved out of the way as the two mares and one gelding galloped out of their pasture and into the barn, going into their own stalls. Smiling, Lily shut the gate behind them. She walked into the barn, seeing the four horses eating happily. She gave a nod of approval before going into her own house for her own dinner.

Lily leaned against the kitchen counter as her sushi heated up in the microwave oven. Though she wasn't the tallest person, she wasn't the shortest, coming to a full height of 5, 7". She was lean and muscular, mostly from her time training the animals and her skin was a dusty tan from being outside all day. Her long, curly, deep chocolate brown hair stopped just above her shoulder blades, framing her face and highlighting her sterling silver eyes. She knew that she would have been beautiful, had it not been for her "accident" a few months beforehand, but she didn't really care. She was more interested in her animals than guys or dating anyway.

Along with four horses and a dog, she also had two birds, a macaw and a pergerine falcon, two cats, and some coyotes that would visit her country home every now and again for some meat scraps. _'Speaking of which_,' Lily thought, '_The coyotes will be here tonight_.' She grabbed her sushi from the microwave, picking it up with her fingers while going through her refrigerator, grabbing any leftover meat she could find. Her scavenging concluded of a slightly charred hamburger, some hotdogs, and a few old slices of ham. While chewing her sushi, Lily set the leftovers just outside the back screen door, knowing the coyotes would grab it when they were ready. After that, she went back inside to finish her dinner, sitting on her worn couch to watch a few minutes of TV.

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><p>Duke finished his workout, using a small hand towel to wipe the sweat from his face and neck. Scarlett had already finished her workout, draining a bottle of water and watching Snake Eyes meditate. Duke was reaching for a bottle of water when Ripcord burst into the training room. "Yo dudes! We got a mission. General Hawk said to meet him in his office ASAP!" he said excitedly to the other Joes. Duke looked over at his friend. "Alright, Rip. We'll be there in a sec," he said, finishing drying himself off and swallowing half a bottle of water. Scarlett and Snake Eyes were already by the door, waiting patiently for the rest of the Alpha Team to join them. Duke joined them soon after, and they followed Ripcord down towards General Hawk's office.<p>

Everyone entered General Hawk's office in a single file line, quickly saluting before waiting to be briefed for the mission. General Hawk gave a small nod. "I have someone I need you to "pickup" someone for me. Her name is Lily Rivers. She's an animal trainer in Fort Worth, Texas." Duke raised an eyebrow. "Why would you be interested in an animal trainer, General?" he asked. General Hawk waved his hand dismissively. "None of your business at the moment, Duke. I'll tell you about her later. You might have a hard time getting her here though. She's not a big fan of the military at the moment, and she is slyer than a fox at that. Here's her file," he said, handing the file to Duke. He took the file, looking over Lily's profile. There was a picture of her in the top, righthand corner. Duke nodded his head slowly. She was attractive, he had to admit, but something caught his eye. "What happened here, Hawk?" he asked, pointing to the flaw in the picture. The older veteran took a quick glance before waving it away. "That would be the reason she's not in the mood for the military," he answered, giving the folder back to Duke.

Confused and curious, Duke took the folder, scanning it again quickly, before handing it over to Ripcord and the rest of the Alpha Team. He saw Ripcord's and Scarlett's eyes widen at the flaw on the young woman. "How old is she?" Scarlett asked, looking over at General Hawk. "She is eighteen, but she is turning nineteen in just a few months," he answered. "For now though, you need to get going. She doesn't stay in the same place long." The team nodded, turning to go before General Hawk halted them. "One more thing. You must be careful with her. She will do anything to protect the animals on her property, including hurting others. She's a Fifth Degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do and was once a sharpshooter. She can easily hurt any of you, except for maybe the exception of Snake Eyes," he said, nodding towards the black cladded ninja. "Good luck and don't get hurt." The team, now less excited to get the, apparently dangerous, young woman, filed out the door and headed towards a large armored, black Jeep. They quickly and quietly loaded into the Jeep before pulling out and heading towards Fort Worth, Texas.


	2. Trouble

**Disclaimer: I do not own GI Joe! I only own my character, Lily Rivers. **Please review! Ideas are always welcome and I do need a codename for Lily. Please and thank you! ****

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><p><em>Beep, beep, beep, beep.<em> Lily gave a heavy sigh, turning over and switching off her alarm. She sat up, reaching up and letting her hair down from its clip. Her wavy hair pooled down over her neck, tickling her upper back. She stretched, muscles flexing under her skin, wincing slightly when the bones in her back cracked loudly. Lily stood up, stretching once more before giving a small sigh. She went into her bathroom, pulling her hair up into a messy, yet elegant bun, pinning it with an old clip. With a quick nod of approval, Lily went downstairs and fed her animals. After that, she started to eat her own breakfast of fruit covered in yogurt. It was an old recipe that her mother had taught her, giving her energy and filling her up for almost the whole day. Lily smiled at the thought of her mother, quickly finishing her breakfast and placing her dishes in the sink.

After breakfast, Lily pulled on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt throwing on a thin, brown plaid long sleeve button-up on over top. Making sure that her animals were finished eating, Lily walked into the barn and opened the stall doors, allowing the horses to make a run to the pasture. Her favorite mare, a fiery chestnut named Phoenix, stayed behind, pausing to nose her mistress's arm before galloping after the others. Lily watched her go before letting Nightlock run after the others. The black filly would have a break from training today, allowing her to spend some time with the other horses. Before letting her go, Lily watched her body language, noting every flick of the ears, every twitch of her eyes, and flick of her tail. She smiled slightly. "I know, sweetheart, but you can have a break today. Go play." Her silver eyes met Night's melted chocolate ones, and the filly bowed her head slightly before bolting from her stall to join the rest of the herd. Lily smiled before going back inside.

She emerged a few minutes later, a whistle around her neck and a thick glove covering her right hand. She put the whistle in her mouth and blew on it as hard as she could three times, sticking her left fist into the air. Then, she dropped the whistle from her mouth, waiting patiently. It hadn't even been two minutes before there was a streak of feathers and pressure on her gloved hand. Lily dropped her left hand, using it now to stroke the tawny feathers of her peregrine falcon, Dart. She slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out a piece of raw meat. Dart gulped it down, watching Lily with his fierce golden eyes. Lily just smiled softly. "Ready for a hunt, Dart?" she asked. The falcon answered by flaring out his wings, cawing loudly. She gave a nod. "Take that as a yes," she chuckled. She started to walk towards the open fields, only stopping when a black Jeep started to pull up into her driveway.

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><p>The ride had been long and uneventful, unless you counted Ripcord's jokes every now and again. They had been on the road for almost four hours now. Duke looked into the rearview mirror, seeing the same sight he had been seeing for four hours. Scarlett and Snake Eyes having a quiet conversation in ASL or meditating, and Ripcord playing with what looked like cards.<p>

Another half hour passed, Ripcord driving now while Duke caught up on a few hours of sleep. Ripcord looked over to see a large house, some horses in a pasture grazing peacefully. He slowed the car, nudging Duke awake. "Yo, Duke. This the place?" he asked. Duke, getting rid of the last traces of sleep, looked out the window and nodded. "This is it," he said. Ripcord nodded and started to pull up the driveway while the others got ready and Duke gave orders. "Snake, the dust will give you a cover. Keep yourself hidden and don't let her see you. Scarlett and Ripcord, you stay with me. We'll see if we can talk her into coming with us. I want to prevent any violence from breaking out," he said, making sure that his weapons were out of sight. Ripcord halted the Jeep, just barely catching the door opening and shutting as Snake Eyes slipped out.

Duke, Scarlett, and Ripcord all stepped out from the car, approaching Lily. "Morning miss," Duke said politely. "We were wondering if you know a Violet Evans. She's a missing girl, about eleven years old. Short black hair, green eyes, about 4' 8"," he lied, hoping to get her to lower her guard some.

The woman cocked her hip, being careful not to jostle the falcon on her fist, something that the Joes hadn't noticed until now. "I haven't heard of any missing girl, sir. Nor do I know a girl by the names of Violet Evans. Now if that's all, I would appreciate it if you all got off my property," she said, eyes narrowing. Now that the dust had settled, Duke could see the full damage that the military had done to the young lady. He quickly averted his eyes, looking instead to the falcon. "I do have one question. Do you have anything to drink, miss?" Duke asked.

Lily narrowed her eyes even further. "I can fix you something up if you'd like. Follow me." She turned, making a gesture for them to follow. She stopped before going inside, giving a small click of her tongue. Dart flared his wings and took off, powerful wings beating against the air. Lily nodded in satisfaction before slipping through the door, into the cool, air conditioned house. She heard the heavy boots of the two men and woman behind her. She knew that they were military men, mostly because she could see that they were wearing bulletproof vests and she had caught a glint of metal in the sunlight when they had been slipping out from the car. Did they think she was stupid? Apparently. She gave a quiet sigh to herself, pouring some iced tea into three glasses and handing them to the military folk.

Duke gladly took the glass, sipping at the cool beverage. If it was one thing he liked about Texas, it was the iced tea. "Thank you, miss," he said, nodding his head to her. He caught movement from the corner of his eye and started to get up, but the German Shepherd started barking up a frenzy, guarding the door. Duke heard Ripcord swear and turned back to face Lily. Her silver eyes were now as dark as storm clouds. She held something in her hands, but he couldn't make out what it was. That is, until she turned her hand and cocked it, aiming the pistol straight at Duke.


	3. Pickup Gone Wrong

"Now, cut the bullshit and tell me why you're really here," Lily demanded, her voice cold and chilling. The pistol was old, but still good enough to shot. She had had it hidden under the counter, giving a signal to Macy to block the door and get the soldiers' attention while she retrieved the gun. Her eyes were on the man with the short blonde hair, the one that her pistol was trained on.

Duke kept his voice steady and calm, though his heart was pounding away a mile a minute. "Ok. We're from the military," he started, ignoring the growling of the dog behind him. "We were sent to retrieve you, Lily Rivers." He saw her stiffen considerably when he said her name. "Our general wanted to meet with you. He had a project that he wanted your help with. Though he didn't explain it to us, I think that it has to do with animals and training them, but that's just my hunch." Duke didn't move, but he did have to suppress a smile when he saw a flicker of shadow behind Lily. He watched as Lily's gaze flickered to the dog behind him.

Lily watched Macy's body language, noting how her eyes moved from the trio to over her left shoulder. Without a seconds thought, she twisted, shifting her weight from her left leg to her right, aiming a kick at her attacker's midsection. She was startled when she realized that her kick had been blocked and a fist had knocked the breath out of her. She gasped, waiting until her chest stopped hurting. Then she flipped herself back onto her feet, eyes watching the black clad man in front of her. She growled, rushing at him. Before she reached him, she felt her legs buckle under her and she rolled onto her back to see what had caused it. A thick chain surrounded her lower legs, holding them together and preventing her from getting to her feet. Giving a screech of outrage, Lily aimed her pistol at the man, shooting rapidly. She saw one bullet nick his shoulder, but the rest went haywire, scattering. She finally controlled her breathing, aiming properly this time. Except, she didn't got the chance to shoot again. She heard something behind her, too late to counteract. The butt of a shotgun slammed into her temple, knocking her out. The last thing she heard was Macy's angry barking.

Duke turned just in time to fend off the angry dog, raising his gun. The German Shepherd clamped her jaws around it, growling angrily. "Guys! A little help here!" he shouted. Snake Eyes was there first, pressing against the back of the dog's skull. It collapsed seconds later, unconscious. Duke looked over at Scarlett for an explanation. "Pressure point. Cut off all oxygen to the dog's brain," she explained. Duke nodded, settling his breathing. "Thanks Snake," he said, nodding at the ninja. He only gave a curt nod in return. Ripcord gave a low whistle from where he was crouched next to Lily, turning her head. "No wonder she hates us. I would hate someone, too, for doing this to me," he remarked, brushing her hair from the left side of her face. Duke noticed that everyone, aside from Snake Eyes, flinched. Two fresh scars marred her face, slicing through her eye and partially blinding her. They started just above her eyebrow, traveling down and ending at the edge of her jaw.

"Wonder what happened to cause that," Duke said softly. He turned to a hand on his shoulder. Snake Eyes tapped his wrist. Scarlett translated. "He's saying we should go. She'll be waking up soon." Duke nodded in agreement. "Alright. Let's move out," he told the others. Ripcord picked Lily up, holding her bridal style, carrying her to the car. Snake Eyes followed him, followed closely by Scarlett and Duke. Duke hesitated before jogging to walk alongside Scarlett. "What about the animals?" he asked. The red-head waved away his concern. "General Hawk said that he would send someone to pick them up. He's not heartless, you know," she said pointedly before getting into the Jeep. Duke nodded his satisfaction at the answer, getting into the drivers seat. After Snake Eyes got in, he started the car, looking into the rearview mirror. Duke was startled to notice an even darker stain on Snake Eyes's shoulder. He twisted in his seat. "You hurt Snake?" The ninja didn't reply. Duke turned back around. "Never mind then," he sighed, turning the car around and driving away from the farmhouse.

Before they got onto the road, Duke looked over at Ripcord. "Hey, Rip, you got any handcuffs on ya?" Ripcord nodded. "Yeah, why?" Duke turned the car from the dirt road, going onto asphalt. "I want you to handcuff the girl." Ripcord frowned. "Why?"

"Because the last thing I want is her hitting me," Duke replied. "I knocked her out and we're technically kidnapping her. So, get cuffin'." Ripcord sighed, turning in his seat to handcuff the still unconscious young woman. "This is going to a long ride back, isn't it Duke?" he asked. Duke nodded, sighing heavily. "Sure is Rip. Let's just hope she doesn't wake up. Otherwise, we're going to be in hell."


	4. Things Could Have Gone Better

**Again, PLEASE review! Another again: I do not own GI Joe. I only own my charrie, Lily Rivers. Still need a codename for her, so send me some ideas people! Thanks for reading!**

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><p>It seemed like luck was on their side...for now. Lily had yet to wake up from her little "nap" and they were almost back at base. Duke was constantly looking in the rearview mirror, expecting the young woman to wake up any second now, and he had to admit, he was a bit intimidated by her. The way she had been able to tell that Snake Eyes was behind her and lash out at him and shoot him, it was enough to make anyone wary around her.<p>

Duke felt that he couldn't have pulled into base any sooner. Lily had been starting to twitch and move, showing that she was waking up. Ripcord had been able to cuff her hands behind her back, but that still didn't put him at ease. Duke stepped out of the Jeep just as he heard Lily fully wake up, groggy, but awake. "Snake, can you take Lily?" he asked. The ninja didn't say a word, obviously, only helped the woman from the car and held her steady. Duke could see from her stormy grey eyes that Lily was not happy and the look she gave Duke almost made him wet his pants. Well, one thing was for sure: She could give an excellent dagger stare. Duke held back a chuckle when he saw Ripcord flinch at the stare. "Man, dude. She really wants our blood now," Ripcord said softly. "She makes Cobra look like a stroll through the park." Duke had to nod in agreement and was glad to have the excuse to turn his back on Lily to salute to General Hawk. Apparently, Lily knew him as well.

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><p>"You son of a bitch!" Lily screamed at him. "I told you to leave me alone! Instead, you have your gang kidnap me!" She writhed in Snake Eye's grip, but it was like trying to fight an elephant with the grip he had on her forearms. Usually, Lily wasn't for fighting dirty, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She pulled herself forward enough to give her legs some room before kicking out behind her like a horse. She felt her heel connect with solid flesh, and the ninja dropped like a stone, holding his groin. Then she rushed forward, kicking the blonde haired man in the ribs, just as he turned to face her. She started towards General Hawk, but the red haired woman blindsided her, literally. She had come up from her left side, bowling over her. There wasn't much Lily could do with her hands behind her back, but she did what she could. She twisted over onto her back and did a rapper's move of moving on her hands in a circle to move her body in a circle as well, only on her back instead of the front. She moved quickly, swiping the other woman's legs out from under her. She was about to lunge again when she felt herself hauled to her feet. She looked over her shoulder to see that it was the black man. "Shit," Lily growled, struggling to get away. This man was harder to get away from, mostly due to the way he was holding her. She didn't see the fist that smacked against her left temple, knocking her out once more.<p>

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><p>Duke gave a sigh of relief, then winced. He had to admit that the young woman had a strong kick, as he felt his bruised ribs. He looked over at Scarlett. "You ok?" he asked. Scarlett nodded, breathing heavily. "She's a tough fighter, that's for sure," she said. Duke nodded in agreement before looking over at General Hawk. "I know I'm not going to like asking, but why does she hate us this much? Why does she hate you that much?" he asked.<p>

General Hawk didn't answer, but went to take a closer look at Lily's limp form. He noted the small scratches and bruises on her arms and the large bruise surrounding her temple. He nodded slightly to himself. "Ripcord, take Lily to a holding cell. Give her some time to calm down and for her animals to get here," he said. "That should help."

Ripcord nodded, saluting a bit awkwardly due to the young woman in his muscular arms. "Yes, sir," he said, getting a better grip on Lily before carrying her inside. Scarlett followed after him. Snake Eyes went after Scarlett, though moving a little stiffly from the kick that Lily had delivered. Everyone was bruised, but not seriously injured so it wasn't a total lost. It could have been a lot worse. This was possibly an omen for things to come. "_Great," _Duke thought. "_Lord help us, especially General Hawk when the she-demon awakens."_

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><p><strong>Sorry that this one was so short. They will get longer, I promise. If you have any ideas, please send them to me! And again, I need a codename for Lily! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	5. Meltdown

Lily gave a low groan, reaching her hand up to touch the swollen side of her face. She cursed under her breath, getting into a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Immediately, she froze. Where had the bed come from? The events from the other day came rushing back: the military people coming into her house, her fighting them, getting knocked out, fighting them again, and getting knocked out again.

She hissed under her breath, muttering more curses. "_Keep yourself calm," _she thought to herself, "_Look around and assess your environment."_ And after taking a deep breath, she did just that. The room she was in was almost pitch black, the only light coming from underneath the door. There was a small toilet, a sink, and a cot, which she had been laying on. Not wasting a moment, Lily went over to the sink, splashing the foul smelling water onto her face and the back of her neck, washing away some of the dirt and grime that she had collected over the days. Then she went back to the cot, laying back down. She instinctively stayed on her left side, so that her right eye was able to keep watch over everything. Now, it was just a waiting game.

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><p>General Hawk looked up from his paperwork as Duke entered his office. The blonde haired soldier saluted briefly before speaking. "The girl is awake," he said simply. General Hawk nodded. "About time," he said, sighing slightly as though bored. "She destroyed the cell yet?"<p>

Duke shook his head. "Hasn't even beaten up the pillow, sir," he replied. "She looked and walked around a bit, but then she went back onto her cot. She's been watching the door though, waiting." General Hawk nodded slowly, taking in the information before standing up. "Well, I'll need the medics to look her over, make sure that she's doing alright, especially after being hit in the head twice," he said.

Duke nodded. "I'll get them right away, sir," he promised, saluting once more before heading towards the infirmary.

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><p>Lily jerked upright as she caught the sound of the locking mechanism in the door turn. She sat up, silver eyes flashing dangerously. Though she didn't look like she would be able to fight, with her muscles relaxed and slouched shoulders, but anyone who knew her would know that she could go from that calm, docile state to a vicious, fearless state in moments. Her eyes narrowed as the cell door opened, showing the blonde haired man from earlier and a woman standing next to him, one that looked a bit like a nurse with her light blue cotton pants and shirt. She flinched inwardly. She didn't have much of a good history with doctors and nurses. Then again, who did? She watched them with cool eyes.<p>

Duke watched the woman on the cot with wary eyes. He could see that she was relaxed now, but he had seen her in action. He knew how fast she could move. He nodded his head to her. "Hey. I didn't get to introduce myself earlier. Name's Duke," he said. Lily just watched in with those cold silver eyes. "Yeah, you were a bit busy kidnapping me," she hissed back at him. Duke took a small, half-step back. "And this is Charlotte. She just wants to take a look at your head, make sure that you aren't too badly hurt or anything."

Lily growled at him, but gave a small nod. "Fine, but you leave. I won't hurt her, on my honor," she said. Duke hesitated before Charlotte pushed him back. "I can handle this," she said calmly. Duke hesitated for another second before nodding. "Alright," he finally said. "Just call if you need anything." Then he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

Charlotte looked over at Lily. She had heard about what this young woman had done to the Alpha Team. She had been shocked and surprised, yes, but she had had more shocking and surprising things before. She went over to her, giving a small wave in greeting. Charlotte watched curiously as only her right eye followed the movement of her hand before seeing the scars going over her left one. Like everyone else, she wondered what had caused the scars. Shaking off her thoughts, she knelt down next to Lily. She felt like she was being watched by a viper, poised and ready to strike. Charlotte took a deep breath. "I need to see where you were hit," she declared. She watched as the young woman raised an eyebrow at her slightly shaky voice before shrugigng. "Go right on ahead," Lily said gruffly, turning her head to the side. Charlotte brushed the girl's hair to the side, running a light finger over the bruise. She could feel a bit of swelling, but nothing serious. The best way to really tell would be from an MRI, but judging by Lily's posture, she wasn't about to start listening to orders anytime soon. She continued with her examination, looking at Lily's scratches and bruises, listening to her heart and lungs, and checking her eyes. Charlotte noticed that when she was looking at Lily's left eye that she was ridged all over, not liking that she couldn't see what the young nurse was doing.

Lily felt her nails bite into her palms to keep herself from strangling the nurse, Charlotte. She hated people being on her left side, hated it! She didn't like not being able to see anyone or anything, especially since she wasn't used to being half-blind yet. The wound had been inflicted on her only a few months beforehand. To keep herself distracted, she started to read Charlotte's body language. The older woman was tense around her shoulders and upper arms, showing that she was nervous about being with her. Her legs were a bit more relaxed than her upper body, but not by much. Her fingers were light and felt like a butterfly's wing, showing that she cared and didn't like inflicting pain on those already in pain. Lily gave a small, unnoticed nod of her head. Charlotte seemed nice enough, kind and gentle, too. Unlike that blonde haired man called 'Duke'. What she read from him didn't exactly calm her. When he had come into the cell, his entire body language screamed '_Danger'_. His arms had been tensed and ready for action, knees slightly bent to move quickly, and his fingers had been twitching by his hip, meaning he had wanted a weapon in his hands, probably a gun or something.

As Charlotte finished up her examination, she could see Lily's eyes darting over her, watching her arms, legs, and face. What was she doing? Charlotte just gave a small, silent sigh and shook her head, standing up. As she did so, she observed how the young woman's eyes watched her every move, calculating. Puzzled, yet wary, Charlotte gave Lily a small nod, showing that she was done with the examination. She looked towards the door. "We've finished, Duke," she called.

Lily switched her gaze from the young nurse to the door, glaring at Duke. Duke purposely ignored the woman's glare, keeping his eyes on Charlotte. The nurse gave a nod to him before leaving to give her report to General Hawk. Duke turned to look back at Lily, locking his gaze with hers. Their staring contested lasted for a few minutes before Lily broke the silence. "What do you want with me?" she asked, her voice like chips of ice.

Duke shrugged. "I honestly don't know. General Hawk never told us what he wanted with you, only that we were to pick you up." Lily snorted. "Pickup. Yeah right. It would have been better if you just left me be!" Her voice was raising in pitch and volume as she barely contained her fury. "Just have left me be! Away from you murderers! Away from you killers! Why couldn't you just leave me alone? I've suffered enough at your hands!" she cried out.

Duke didn't know what to do. He could only stand and watch as Lily ranted and let out her frustration, almost seeing the tension and anger rolling off of her in waves. What she said next sent chills up his spine. "You killed him! You killed him for one of your damn experiments!" A single tear rolled down her face as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Duke was shocked to see blood streaming down her fingertips from where she had cut open her palms with her fingernails. He looked towards the door, signaling to one of the guards to get help. Lily was going to end up hurting herself if this didn't stop soon. "Why did you kill him? Why did you kill them both? He said he would come home, but because of you, he never will!" Duke wanted to cover his ears at her screeching, but he was hypnotized by what she was saying. Who was the person she was talking about? What experiments?

He turned his head and gave a sigh of relief as he saw Snake Eyes and a nurse arrive. But turning his head away from Lily was a mistake, and it would have been a fatal one, too. Lily had lunged at Duke, wrapping her arms around his neck. He instinctively grabbed her, trying to get her arms off from around his neck, but it was like trying to break corded steel. Duke was starting to get tunnel vision as Lily's grip around his throat cut off all oxygen, struggling to breathe. The pressure was suddenly gone, and Duke heaved for breath, coughing heavily. He looked over his shoulder to see Lily unconscious and a dart sticking out from her upper arm. He turned back around. "Thanks Snake," he wheezed to the ninja. Snake Eyes just gave a single nod of his head, stepping back to allow the medics through. One went straight to Duke, checking his throat to make sure that his windpipe wasn't completely crushed and that he could breathe properly. The other went over to Lily, removing the dart from her arm before handcuffing in hands behind her back and hobbling her feet. "In case she wakes up," the doctor explained quickly to Duke before checking the young woman's pulse. "She's under severe emotional stress right now," he finally declared, standing up. "There's nothing I can really do until she's awake and calm. Everything is moving too fast for her and too many things are going on for her to comprehend all at once." As he stepped back, a guard came forward and lifted Lily onto her cot. "Right now, she needs someone to talk to. No one military though. Judging by what's been happening, she doesn't trust very easily."

"I might have something," a feminine voice said from behind the others. Duke turned and saw Scarlett. "What would that be?" he asked his teammate. Scarlett looked into the hallway and made a motion with her hand. A guard arrived a few moments later, holding a struggling German Shepherd. Duke looked over at Scarlett for an explanation. "It's her dog," Scarlett explained. "General Hawk requested that her animals be brought to the Pitt." Duke watched as Macy stiffened and lunged forward towards her mistress, struggling against the muzzle and leash that held her hostage. Another guard came forward, un-hobbling Lily's feet. Then, he un-cuffed her hands, bringing them towards the front and cuffing them again. They didn't want a repeat of what had happened to Duke. "Everyone out," the guard ordered. They didn't know what the German Shepherd would do to the people around her mistress and they didn't really want to find out the hard way. Once everyone was out, the guard unmuzzled the dog and unclipped the leash. In a torrent of black and brown fur, she swung around, fangs gleaming as she snapped for the guard's arm. He pulled back just in time, the dog's jaws closing on empty air. He shut the door, locking it quickly.

Duke gave a heavy, tired sigh. Scarlett looked over at him. "You ok?" she asked. Duke shook his head. "Not really. Lily said some pretty disturbing things in there. That reminds me, too. It's time I had a chat with General Hawk," he said.


	6. Explanations?

Duke strode purposefully down the hallway, heading towards General Hawk's office. He knocked on the door. "Come in," came General Hawk's voice. Duke opened the door, shutting it behind him. He saluted quickly before asking hesitantly. "Did you see the footage of what happened in Lily's cell?" he asked.

General Hawk gave a small shake of his head. "I did not. Though I knowing something happened because I saw the medics running down and I can see the bruises around your throat. She catch you off your guard, Duke?" The soldier rubbed the back of his neck. "Kind of. I turned my head and she lunged at me from behind. But that's not the reason I came here, general. It was about what she said before she went all haywire. She started ranting and was staying something about us killing "him", though I don't really know who he is. She never said a name, just keep shouting that we killed him in an experiment. What the hell does that mean?"

General Hawk gave a heavy, tired sigh. "It's not really any of your concern-" he started, but Duke cut him off. "Like hell it isn't! She was the one screaming and shouting that the military killed someone, most likely someone close to her. Who? And what experiments was she talking about?" he asked, on the verge of shouting.

General Hawk just gave another sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before speaking in a tired, worn voice. "It was her brother. He was here with us for a few years as a combat trainer, one of the best, I might add. His name was Jackson. I don't know what experiment it was that she was talking about. I think that he got caught in a plane fight and his ejector seat was jammed. The plane crashed." Duke just stood there, digesting the new information. What General Hawk was saying didn't make any sense, but it was a start. "Who was the other person she was talking about? She said that we 'killed them both'," he finally asked. General Hawk leaned back in his chair. "My guess is that it was her boyfriend, Daniel. He was in the plane with Jackson when it crashed." Duke nodded, saluting. "Thank you, General," he said before leaving the office. Something wasn't right about General Hawk's story. Duke rolled his shoulders to loosen them, heading towards his own quarters. The only way that he was going to find the truth to Lily's past was to ask her himself. And that was definitely not something he was going to be doing anytime soon.

* * *

><p>A wet nose nuzzled at Lily's cheek. She groaned, turning over onto her side, trying to raise a hand to push away the wetness. A bark made her head ring and Lily groaned again, prying open her eyes. A long, familiar snout filled her vision. "Macy!" she exclaimed, sitting up. She reached out to pet the shepherd's soft fur, but was stopped. Looking down, she saw that her hands were cuffed in front of her. She swore under her breath before jangling the cuffs, twisting her wrists until she had some room. Though Lily didn't have much room to move her hands, she was still able to stroke her dog. "Macy," she whispered. "Hey sweetheart. You doin' ok?" The German Shepherd just wagged her tail, licking at her mistress's face. Lily smiled, the first time since her capture. "I love you, too, sweetheart."<p>

* * *

><p>The doctor that had examined Lily when she had been unconscious stood by the security camera, watching the ongoings in Lily's cell. She was almost completely relaxed, stroking and talking to her dog. It looked like he had been right; talking to someone did take pressure and stress off of the young woman.<p>

Duke stood behind the doctor, having been called down before reaching his room, watching at Lily relaxed bit by bit. "She's certainly settling down well enough," he said to the doctor. The doctor nodded. "She is indeed. Hopefully, she'll stay that way. General Hawk said that he was going to let her out tomorrow, let her explore some. With guards of course, but we hope that she'll stay calm, especially now that she has her dog with her." Duke gave a small nod of his head, though he had a feeling that it would be a bad idea. "Let's hope that you're right, doc," was all he could say before he went back to his own room for well-deserved nights sleep.

* * *

><p>Lily jumped awake, startling Macy into growling. Lily gave a tired sigh. "Relax, Macy. Just me." The dog settled within seconds, laying back down on top of Lily's legs. Lily gave a smile at her dog's obedience, sitting up the rest of the way. She gave a small click of her tongue and Macy leaped down from the bed, sitting on the floor. Lily smiled again, swinging her legs over the bed and standing up. She stretched, listening as most of her bones cracked loudly. She gave a relieved sigh, allowing her arms to relax in front of her due to the handcuffs. Then, she crouched down next to Macy, stroking her. "Wonder what's going to happen to us now?" she whispered softly to the dog. Macy just cocked her head, eyes sparkling with curiosity. Lily gave another tiny smile, standing up to use the bathroom and to try to get some of the dirt and grime off of her from the sink.<p>

* * *

><p>Duke nodded to the rest of his team as he entered the training room. Ripcord was the first to speak. "How's Lily doin'?" he asked. "Better," Duke replied to his friend. Scarlett nodded, followed closely by Snake Eyes. "That's good to hear," she said. Duke nodded again. "It is. Let's just hope she doesn't have another breakdown and go haywire again. Don't think my throat could take another choking so soon," he said, chuckling slightly while rubbing his bruised neck. "General Hawk says that he's going to let Lily out today for a tour." Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Is that even safe?" she asked. Duke shrugged. "I don't know. In my personal opinion, it's a very stupid decision. She's unpredictable and possibly unstable. She could go over the edge at any second and can lash out at anyone around her. General Hawk is hoping that having her dog with her will help her stay calm, but again, I don't know. Things can go wrong or they can go right. We won't know until it actually happens," Duke said, rubbing at the bridge of his nose, frustrated. Ripcord gave him a sympathetic chuckle. "Guess so, bro." Duke chuckled, punching Ripcord playfully on his shoulder. "Well, I guess we should get going then. We are to be Lily's personal guard," he told the team. Ripcord groaned before following after Duke as they headed towards Lily's cell.<p> 


	7. Threats

Lily stood over the sink, water dripping from her face and neck. She took a deep breath, letting her shoulders sag. She could feel that something was about to happen, but she didn't know what. Macy growling at the door pulled her out of her trance, causing her to jerk up and become tense once more. Macy continued to growl at the door, her hackles lifting. There wasn't much that Lily could do with her hands cuffed in front of her, but she would manage if it was a threat. About a minute later, she heard the locking mechanism being unlocked. She stood off to the side, hidden in the shadows. She kept her good side in view and her bad facing the wall. As the door swung open, Macy lunged. It took Lily a split second to realize that it was the man, Duke, and his team from earlier. She snapped out a quick command. "Macy, ferse!" The shepherd pulled back from her attack, teeth just grazing the military man's arm. She trotted next to her mistress's side, though still growling at the "intruders".

Duke's hand moved towards his gun. "Damn dog," he grumbled under his breath, relaxing his hand. He looked over to where the dog had gone. It took his eyes a while to adjust to the gloom, but he was finally able to see the outline of Lily's body. "You are to come with us," he ordered her. The laugh that erupted from her mouth startled Duke. "What's so funny?" Lily just continued to laugh. "The fact that you think that you can just order me around like a perfect little soldier," she said, still chuckling. Duke felt anger starting to boil in the pit of his stomach as she continued. "You have nothing over me. I have already lost everything. What more could you take?" she asked, her voice starting to become icy. Before Duke could speak, Snake Eyes put a hand on his shoulder, signing. Duke noticed that Lily was watching the ninja closely before he looked over at Scarlett for a translation. She whispered quietly to him what Snake Eyes had signed. Duke nodded, turning back to face Lily. "Your animals," he said simply. "General Hawk had us bring them here. We can take them away from you and sell them." Lily tensed, eyes flashing dangerously. "You wouldn't," she hissed. Duke nodded. "We would. Starting with the dog," he said simply, motioning towards Macy.

"That bastard!" Lily swore harshly. Macy growled at the man, sensing that he was making her mistress upset. "Settle, Macy," Lily told her tiredly. The dog immediately settled, looking up at Lily to make sure that she didn't have any more commands for her. Lily looked back over at Duke, anger and hatred in her eyes. "If I go, she comes with me or I will make this a living hell for you," she promised. Duke gave an impatient sigh. "Ok, fine. The dog can come, but if she makes a single move away from you or attacks any of us, she will be shot at." Lily glared at him once more before snapping her fingers twice, the handcuffs jingling at the sudden movement. Macy jumped to her feet, standing next to Lily, her ears forward and alert. Then, Lily looked back over at Duke. "Let's get this over with."

Duke nodded, turning halfway to allow Lily and her dog to pass him. Then he took up the rear while Ripcord was on the left, Snake Eyes on the right, and Scarlett taking the lead. Duke noted how, though partially blind, Lily took everything in, analyzing everything she saw. He himself was analyzing everything that Lily was taking in, though there wasn't anything that he could really do to control her from looking. Scarlett lead them towards the training room, talking to Lily the entire way there; what they did, why they did it, and who they were against. Duke was slightly startled to see Lily stiffen at the mention of Cobra, but it was gone a second later. If he wasn't the trained soldier that he was, he probably won't even had noticed it, but he did. Was it possible that the people who had been experimenting on her brother had been Cobra instead of the Joes? That she was just confused and didn't know that they were different? Duke just gave an annoyed sigh. And he was back to the same conclusion as before. He would just have to ask Lily to find out what had truly happened and he was not about to take that chance now, not with her temper.

Lily looked everything over, not leaving a single room untouched by her eye. She was forming a mental map of the area in her head, in case she was to ever escape. There was no way that she would join. They had killed her brother and her boyfriend/to-be fiancé. They had been talking about marriage and he had promised to propose soon, always with a sly wink. But now? Now he was gone, never to be able to propose to her or any other girl ever again. Lily gave a quiet sigh before scorning herself for thinking of the past. The past brought nothing, but bad memories; ones that she never wanted to think about ever again and ones that still haunted her dreams. Lily pulled herself out of her thoughts, trying to pay attention to what the redhead was saying. Something about a training room. She perked up at that. Finally! Somewhere she could still beat the crap out of people. That ninja dude was the first person that had even come close to being a challenge for her. She knew that he would have put up more of a fight, had she not kicked him in the nuts earlier. Then again, what man would have been able to? She chuckled to herself at the though, getting a strange look from the black man that stood to her left. She just rolled her eyes at him and once again started to take everything in.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter was uneventful and boring, but I promise that more action will be coming up soon. I still need ideas of Lily's codename! I have one in mind, but I would like to see what you guys come up with first. BTW, notice how I didn't show what her fiancé's name was? HAHA! Foreshadowing there boys and girls! LOL! Anyway, please review! I love getting feedback, good or bad. (P.S., next chapter: Lily comes face to face with General Hawk. Dundundun!)<strong>


	8. The Confrontation and Explanations

Lily's thoughts were stuck in the past. Her brother's laugh at her lame jokes, his excitement at being accepted to join the military as a combat trainer, his hugs of comfort when she was upset, his happiness for her when she joined the military as a sniper and a sharpshooter. All of that: gone. Forever. Along with her boyfriend. Why they had been taken from her, she didn't know.

Lily kept one hand on Macy's back, eyes slightly gazed as she remembered. A sharp nip from Macy jolted her from her thoughts. She jumped, looking down to see that she had been twisting the fur on her shoulders, probably hurting her. She gave a sigh. "Sorry, sweetheart. Head's just in a jumble, that's all," she told the German Shepherd gently and quietly. A sudden realization hit her. She looked behind her at the blonde man. "You said that ALL my animals were here, correct?"

Duke, bewildered by the sudden question, nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Why?"

Lily gave a sweet smile, though her eyes were still cold. "Just curious," she said, the wheels turning in her head. She had to act quickly if she wanted this to work, but she had to make sure that they had brought him in first.

"And this is the loading and tech zone," Scarlett said, motioning to the large, open area. Lily glanced around, settling her eyes on a large jet. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw her horses being unloaded, then smiled slightly at the trouble the men were having with them. The horses were specially trained. They wouldn't listen to any one besides her or if they were given the codeword Lily had taught them. Nightlock was giving them the most trouble, bucking and rearing and neighing, the whites of her eyes flashing. Lily made sure to completely look over the body language her horses were giving off before quickly placing her fingers in her mouth and giving a shrill, high-pitched whistle, pausing, and then giving another whistle. All four horses froze before starting to rear against their restraints. Nightlock, who had yet to be fully restrained, finally twisted her head to break free. She gave a whine of triumph, galloping over to her beloved mistress. Lily smiled, running towards the young filly. The black filly halted in front of Lily and nickered happily, pressing her head against her chest. Lily whispered soothing words to the filly, gently taking her lead rope and leading her back over to the others.

Duke watched, astonished. He had known that Lily was good with animals, but never to the level that she was showing now. The way that the horse had reacted to Lily and how they treated her showed how well she knew the animals and how well they knew her. He was starting to put the pieces together on what General Hawk wanted her for, but there were still a few gaps that needed to be filled. "_And speaking of the general," _Duke thought, catching sight of him out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saluted quietly before turning his attention back to Lily, who was still talking to the horses.

Lily's good eye darted over to Blizzard, her white gelding, as he looked over her shoulder and his ears shot forward. He gave a low rumble in his chest, something that only Lily would be able to hear. She didn't turn, but listened instead. Someone was behind her. "What do you want?" she asked icily, not turning. Instead, she calmed herself by stroking Blizzard and Phoenix. Her third horse, a light grey, older mare named Marble, watched warily, the only signs of her anguish being the constant flicks of her tail.

"Just to see how you were settling in," an all too familiar voice said from behind her.

Lily froze, turning around slowly as to not startle her horses. Her eyes were swirling dangerously and all muscles were tense. As soon as she had turned, almost immediately she felt someone holding her arms as of means to restrain her. She looked over her right shoulder to see the ninja dude holding her back, his arms slipped through her own to keep them pinned behind her back. She snarled at him before looking back at General Hawk. "What do you want?" she repeated, voice raising slightly in distress.

Duke, who had been standing behind General Hawk, whispered into his ear. "We need to keep her calm. The doc said to keep her calm unless we want her to breakdown again. And I don't think that Snake Eyes will enjoy knocking her out for a third time," he said, quietly enough that he wouldn't be overheard by Lily.

Lily narrowed her eyes at Duke. She kept herself as calm as she dared, not wanting to upset her already unsettled animals. Macy was growling at the ninja, which Lily now remembered who's name was Snake Eyes, before Lily gave the shepherd a sharp command, resulting in her laying down, but still keeping a watchful eye on her mistress and the ninja. Lily watched General Hawk cautiously and warily, stiffening as he stepped closer to her.

General Hawk walked right up to Lily, brushing her hair away from her blind eye. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "A shame really, to lose a sense that you have lived with all your life."

Snake Eyes felt Lily stiffen, shifting her weight. He knew that she was about to kick, having felt that weight shift before many times over. He waited a few moments before jerking her backwards, pulling her off balance just as she lashed out for General Hawk.

Lily gave a startled shout, glaring at the ninja behind her. How had he known that she was going to kick the general? She shifted again, this time to give herself some room, before holding still. "And it's a shame that you were the reason for it," she spat back at him.

General Hawk shook his head. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again, it wasn't our fault," he said calmly. "It was your own for being as careless as you were." He looked her straight in the eye, not even flinching at her stare.

Lily snarled. "I had everything under control until you startled her. You and your men shouldn't have barged in the way that you did! It was a delicate process that needed to be done and I told you to keep away, but did you listen to the warnings that I gave you?" She paused before continuing. "No, you didn't. So as I said before, it was your fault that she attacked." General Hawk didn't reply, just watched the determined, young woman.

Duke was mystified. What exactly had happened? And how did General Hawk already know Lily? He shared a confused look with Ripcord, who was just as puzzled as he was. "What are you two talking about?" he finally asked.

General Hawk turned to face Duke. "We'll discuss it later," he said with no emotion before looking back over at Lily.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "No, go ahead and tell him now. I want to make sure you aren't lying or twisting up the story. And if you don't, I will," she threatened.

General Hawk gave a sigh. "Fine. Lily used to work for us as a sniper. She was stationed on the top of a building and we were after Cobra. No surprise there. Anyway, she was to pick off targets that got too close to our soldiers. Everything was going well until Storm Shadow found her. He had an apprentice with him and told her to attack and kill Lily. Then, he left to help get rid of the rest of our soldiers. We got the signal from Lily that she was in trouble. I called her over the communicator. Even with the situation that she was in, her voice was calm and steady. She said 'Don't come up here. I've got it.' She cut off and we didn't hear from her after that. Lily was actually hoping to calm Storm Shadow's apprentice enough so that she could get away. I didn't believe that she would be able to do it, so I took five other soldiers and myself up to the top of the building. I ordered them to draw their guns and I knocked down the door. We saw Lily talking calmly to the apprentice. The apprentice got shocked and spooked when we came in. She looked over at Lily and screamed, 'You lied to me!' That's when she leapt forward and slashed Lily's eye with a shuriken, leaving the scars you can see now." General Hawk paused, as if he didn't want to say what happened next. He gave a sigh. "The scream is what haunts me. Made it seem like the world was going to end, full of pain and horror. My men shot down the apprentice and we took Lily to a nearby hospital. The doctors couldn't save her eye, and we had to leave to give our report about the mission. We got a call early the next morning saying that Lily had escaped from the hospital, knocking out five doctors and a nurse. We had been trying to find her ever since."

"There was a reason that I left, one that you don't need to know about at the moment," Lily said, her voice dead and flat when she spoke. "I joined the Joes with my brother. He was distraught when I left, sending me notes and pleading with me to come back. He was the only one who knew where I was. It was about a month after I left that I found out my brother and fiancé were dead. After that, I went into hiding, making myself untraceable. Finally got away to Texas and starting training animals again. Before the Joes, I was a trainer."

Duke was quiet, mulling things over. "Why didn't you tell us any of this?" he asked.

General Hawk shot a look at Duke. "Because it wasn't something that you needed to know," he said a bit sharply.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Keeping something from your team, general? That's not usually like you," she replied, looking up and over her shoulder at the ninja. "Do you mind?" she asked. Snake Eyes let go of her arms and she turned back around to stroke her horses. "Thank you," she said, actually sounding polite for once. "About time someone started listening to me for once."


	9. Conditions and Agreements

General Hawk watched Lily, wondering what was going on in that strange mind of hers. He knew that she was feeling more secure now that she had her animals back, but he still needed to get on her good side for now. He looked over at the rest of the Joes. "You are all dismissed. I must talk to Lily alone," he said, eyes on the young woman.

Duke frowned slightly, but nodded and headed off to the training room with Ripcord. "Wonder what's going on with them," Duke wondered aloud. Ripcord shrugged. "Who knows, man. That chick is messed up though. I'm wondering how Hawk is going to get on her good side. If she even has one that is," he commented with a chuckle. Duke chuckled as well, looking over his shoulder once as the fading figures of Hawk and Lily.

Lily watched the soldiers leave before turning to face General Hawk. "What is it that you actually want from me, Hawk?" she asked.

General Hawk turned and started to walk towards his office. "Walk with me will you, Viper?" he asked, a small smile on his lips.

Lily stiffened, clenching her fists. "Don't ever call me that again, Hawk. That name is long past and not one that I wish to have again."

General Hawk only gave a small nod. "As you wish. Though I must ask, do you still have that tattoo?" he asked curiously.

Lily didn't reply, only lowering her gaze and digging her fingers into the tender flesh of her palm. "That does not concern you," she whispered, anger and grief mixing together in her voice.

Hawk raised his hands slightly, showing that he wanted no argument. "As you wish," he said again heading towards his office once more.

Lily followed after him, taking deep breaths to control her anger and pain. She finally relaxed her hands, taking to clenching her jaw instead. Once they reached Hawk's office, Lily stepped inside, not bothering to really look around. She had seen it all before.

General Hawk sat down at his desk, clasping his hands in front of him on top of it. "So Lily, here we are again. I remember when you were only sixteen, coming in here a couple of months after your brother as the new recruit. He begged for me to take you onto the team," he started, not at all surprised when Lily slammed a fist down on the desk.

"Don't you dare speak of my brother in front of me," she threatened. "You are not worthy enough to do so."

Hawk gave a small sigh, but nodded. "Fine, but as I was saying, I still need you on my team. I have a plan on training animals to guard against and attack our enemies, mostly from wild. I remember your bro-" he cut off before revising his words. "Someone telling me about you having a wonder gift of being able to understand animals and being the greatest trainer that the world has ever seen. I need you to be that trainer again, the one that can train these animals so that we may take down Cobra."

Lily was already shaking her head. "I told myself that I wouldn't get back into the military after what happened to him," she said softly. "I won't go through that again. It would have been better for you to just leave me alone. Even in the few days that I have been here, memories that I've been rid of for months have come back. I won't be able to do it."

It was now General Hawk's turn to shake his head. "Bullshit. I've been you do more incredible things than half the men here. Heck, you took down Snake Eyes within the first few minutes that you were here. Not a single person has been able to do that in all the years that he has been here. So, cut the crap. I know that you are capable of doing this job, despite the memories and the stress. I have known you for a good couple of years Lily and I know that you can handle it, unlike the other trainers that have tried again and again."

Lily ran a hand through her long brown hair, giving a heavy sigh. She was quiet for many moments before speaking. "I will do as you ask, but only under a few conditions."

General Hawk took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he nodded slowly. "Fine. What are your conditions?" he asked warily.

Lily's silver eyes darted over Hawk's face. "First off, my animals will be allowed to stay here and I will still be able to train them, as well as spend time with them."

Hawk nodded. "Alright, agreed. Continue," he said.

Lily gave a small nod of satisfaction before going on. "Second, I won't be training any animals that have been brought in from the wild over the age of a few weeks. I don't need to be losing another eye. I will be training your soldiers as well how to train and what to look for in an agitated animal. I won't allow anyone to be hurt or injured under my watch."

General Hawk nodded again. "I will see what I can do with that," he replied.

"Third, I want to train with your Alpha team. I've been losing my touch and I need sometime to train myself as well as the animals," Lily reasoned.

Hawk nodded once more. "Ok, anything else?" he asked.

"Just one more thing. You are not to speak of my brother or of my connections here. You are not to speak of my past with anyone unless I tell you that you can. My past is my own and it is not something I wish to burden anyone with," Lily said, holding her head eye. She was determined to do this her way or not at all.

"Fine," Hawk said after a few seconds hesitation. "I'll have your things taken to your new room within the hour. Welcome back to the team, Viper."

Lily shook her head, a bit angrily. "I will no longer be going by that name. I'll take on a codename, but Viper is no more. She is someone who is only a memory now."

General Hawk gave an understanding incline of his head. "I see," he said, standing up. "Well then, I will see you around Lily. The Alpha team will make sure that you receive a proper codename." He gave a small chuckle before leaving the room.

Lily looked down at Macy, who was laying down just outside the office door. "Wonder what that was about," she said to the German Shepherd. As if she understood what she was saying, the dog seemed to give a shrug, as though she was wondering the same thing.


	10. Things of the Past

Lily was shown to her room a few minutes later. It was larger than she was used to, but that was probably due to the fact that the room was mostly empty. Once her things arrived, it would look a bit smaller. Macy had already made herself at home on the bed, dozing peacefully. Lily left her dog in privacy, going into the bathroom to take a shower. She was still covered in dirt and grime from her earlier tussle with the Alpha team. She turned the water on hot, enjoying the warmth. Lily sighed, closing her eyes as her body relaxed for the first time in quite a while. It felt good.

Finally, Lily reluctantly got out of the shower and got dressed in a white t-shirt and baggy camouflage pants, getting the clothes from a couple of her bags that had been dropped off while she had been in the shower. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, silver eyes aglow with new energy. Things seemed to be looking up, for now at least.

After that, Lily started to put away her clothes in the simple wooden drawers of the dresser. She liked the simpleness of it, glad that nothing was overcomplicated or anything. She finished with her clothes and then about putting up a few of her personal items. A couple of pictures here and there on the nightstand and the walls, books filling up the unadorned shelves, and such things like that. It was actually a bit relaxing, looking through her things and putting them away. Strange, yes, but it was true. Lily smiled when she finally located her diary, which was precious to her. It was filled with her memories, some which were enjoyable to remember. To pass some of the time, Lily flipped open to a random page and started reading:

_December 23, 2001_

_Diary,_

_I swear, things could not be anymore perfect. The tree is up for the first time in ages, covered in decorations. Mom was sweet enough to take my crappy, handmade ornaments and hang them up as well. The only bummer is that Mom thinks that just because I am going into the double digits I am too old for Christmas presents. I know that she is only kidding. I miss Dad. Wish that he could actually be here for Christmas, even at least once. Or a birthday or any kind of celebration at least. Sometimes, I think that he doesn't care about us anymore. Mom says that he's helping his country by going into the military, but there are times when I wish that he would at least stay home for a week or so. I haven't seen him in I don't know how long. He probably doesn't even know what I look like now, he's been gone to long. It's ironic though. Now my nerd of a brother is thinking of joining when he gets out of collage. Then again, he has to get out of high school first. If that happens, then pigs will fly! Just kidding. I know that the army will gain an excellent soldier when he joins. Even more ironic, I am thinking about joining him. When I last saw Dad, he took me sharpshooting (see June 14, 1999). He said that I had the greatest aim that he had ever seen. It made me feel special. I just hope that I can live up to what my father expects. But I would like to leave this entry on a happy note. Christmas is almost here and I picked out the perfect presents for everyone! Can't wait for the family to open them!_

_With love and happy wishes,_

_Viper_

Lily shut the diary, placing it in a safe spot behind a few of her other books. It seemed to be mocking her, flipping to the page about her dad and the military. She would read a few more entries later, though she knew that they would only bring up more memories.

There was a more specific reason that she didn't want to take back her codename of Viper. Her father had given it to her after they had gone sharpshooting:

_A seven-year-old Lily looked out the window, excitement churning in her stomach. Her father was sitting in the front seat, beaming at his daughter. "That was amazing shooting, Lils. Sure you haven't been sneaking out of the house to practice?" he teased. Lily laughed. "I promise Daddy." Her father chuckled along with her. "You shot well enough to be in the army," he told her. "Almost like the rattlesnake did out in the backyard. Remember that?" Lily nodded, silver eyes wide. "I remember. It kept biting at the rabbit over and over again. You said it had great aim," she said. He gave a nod as well, his matching silver eyes on the road. It was he that had given his daughter her most valuable trait. The famous silver bullets, as her mother called them. Lily smiled, happy to be spending some time with her dad before he left. Again. Her father gave a small sigh. "You know what, Lils? That shooting was so spectacular that I'm going to give you your own codename," he said. Lily frowned slightly before it cleared and she was smiling brightly. "You mean like the one the soldiers gave you?" she asked excitedly. He nodded. "Exactly like that. You like the name Viper?" Lily frowned again. "What's a viper?" Her dad chuckled. "A viper is a poisonous snake, close to the cobra family. Its aim is astonishing though, just like yours was." Lily giggled, blushing slightly. "Just like you Daddy!" she said happily. He chuckled. "Just like me, Viper." Lily smiled. "Cobra and Viper. I like it."_

Lily jumped, breaking out of her thoughts, as a knock sounded at her door. She stood up, going over to the door and opening it. "Duke? What are you doing here?" she asked, startled to see the blonde-haired soldier at her door.

Duke cleared his throat slightly before answering. "I was asked to come and get you. We're all down in the training room and Hawk wanted you to join us," he replied.

Lily nodded slowly. "Alright, let's go," she said, turning for a split second to give a whistle for Macy, knowing that the dog would rip the room apart to get out. Once the shepherd was by her side, she readily followed Duke out of her room and towards the training room.


	11. The Training Room

**Well this should be an exciting chapter. Lily goes to the training room! This has been the chapter that I've been looking forward to doing! Please R&R! Thanks!**

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><p>Lily gazed around at the familiar surroundings as Duke lead her towards the training room. That room was probably one of the only ones rooms she had been in only once before. The reason that she hadn't gone back into the training room since she first went into it was because it had been one of the last places she had seen her brother.<p>

Duke looked over his shoulder to see Lily looking around. He gave a small shrug and continued on towards the training room. "So...you were a part of the Joes before now?" he asked. He forced himself not to flinch when he felt her gaze switch from the interior to his back.

Lily glared at Duke's back, not all that happy with the question. But she didn't think that it would hurt to tell him. She gave a heavy sigh before nodding. "Yes," she told him briefly.

Duke gave a slow nod, thinking to himself. He was about to ask about her brother, then quickly thought better of it and was relieved to see that they had arrived to the training room. "Here we are," he told Lily.

Lily glanced at the clear glass doors that led into the training room. She stayed behind Duke as he lead the way in. Already there was a small crowd of people gathered there, exercising, talking, and mostly just waiting around to see what the new recruit had in her. What mostly caught her attention was what looked like a boxing ring, where two men were fighting each other, not even holding back in their punches. She also realized that she was one of the only woman here, with the exception of Scarlett, and probably one of the youngest. She was only eighteen going on nineteen, but the people here had to be in their late twenties to early thirties, possibly older. She took a deep breath, running a hand over Macy's back for comfort. The German Shepherd gave a low growl of understanding before quieting.

Duke looked over at the growl. Things had gone a bit quiet when the trio had entered, but the noise was slowly starting to resume. Duke could still see the eyes that darted towards the young woman behind him, a few of them filled with lust. It was after they spotted the scars that crossed over her eye that they looked away completely, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. He led Lily over to a couple of weights. "How much can you lift?" he asked, motioning to the bench press.

Lily just gave a sly smile, straddling the bench and laying back on it, placing both hands firmly on the bar. She allowed herself a faint smile when she heard Duke. "Are you sure? That's 250 lbs. that you're lifting," he said in warning. Lily chuckled, easily pulling the weight from its holders and starting to do a few reps. Steel cord muscles rippled under her skin as she did the reps, welcoming the burn in her arms and chest. She took a deep breath and straightened her arms once more, placing the weight back on the holders, scooting forward, and sitting up. She was barely sweating when she looked over at Duke and gave another smile. "That good enough?" she asked innocently.

Duke could only look at her in shock. "How in the hell were you able to bench press that much?" he finally demanded.

Lily chuckled, swinging her leg over the bench and standing up. "Simple. Few months ago, when I still worked with the Joes, my broth-" she stopped, hesitating. She had said to much as it was. "Old technique," she finally mumbled, pushing back a piece of hair that had escaped from her ponytail.

Duke opened his mouth to argue the point, but a sharp look from those silver eyes stopped him short. Instead, he just gave a small nod of his head and looked away, towards the boxing ring. An idea forming, he motioned for her to follow him as he headed towards the ring.

Lily, cautious yet curious, followed after him, Macy at her heels. Seeing where they were heading, she gave a hidden devious smile. She looked over at Macy and paused, kneeling down next to her. She spoke quietly to the dog before standing up and walking over next to Duke, who was looking up at two fighting figures. "You want me to fight?" she guessed.

Duke nodded. "That would be correct," he replied, motioning for her to get into the ring after one of the men tapped out and they both stepped out of the ring.

Lily glared at him before slipping up under the rope, her eyes showing wariness as everyone went quiet and crowded around the boxing ring. She showed no pose, keeping her muscles relaxed and loose. Keeping them tight and taunt would do nothing, but waste energy. She waited patiently to see who would challenge her. One voice caught her attention. "Seriously? This is the new recruit to the Alpha Team? She's only a girl for crying out loud and half blind at that!" Her eyes shot towards the voice, honing in on the person the voice had been transmitted from. "Is that a challenge I hear?" she teased, but with a hint of iciness. "Hell it is!" he shouted, jumping into the ring. Lily gazed over him quickly. Shaggy brown hair, dark green eyes, tall, bulging muscles, somewhere in his mid-twenties, and probably didn't have much of a brain. She hide a smile. She had faced more challenging in the past, but she knew that underestimating someone could result in her demise.

Lily watched the man carefully, starting to move in a slow circle around him, good eye on the target. "What's your name?" she asked casually.

"Samuel Parkens, but here they call me Scorpion," he replied, hands in front of him as he followed Lily's every move.

"Nice to meet you, Scorpion," Lily said. "My name is Lily Rivers, but here they call me Lily." She gave a soft chuckle at her own joke. "Actually, they used to call me-" She never finished, instead lunging at Samuel. She stopped a few feet away from him, landing on her hands and swinging her body around, using her legs to knock Samuel's out from under him. He fell to the ground with a thud, getting up within a few seconds. "Why you little-" He moved forward in a tackling mode, gripping Lily from behind her as she stood up from her spin. He held her arms tightly against her sides, crushing her. Lily suddenly went limp, relaxing all her muscles. Samuel's grip loosened slightly, thinking that she had given up, and Lily was a sudden blur of action. She wrapped her legs around Samuel's, pushing her elbows back into his ribcage get him to release her arms. It worked, pain shooting up and through his chest, forcing him to let go. Lily twisted to the ground, twisting her legs which were still wrapped around Samuel's own legs. Samuel hit the ground for the second time and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Before he could get up all the way, though, Lily was behind him, quick as a snake. She wrapped one arm around his neck, latching her other arm onto the first, locking him into a headlock and cutting off his breath. He clawed at her arms, but to no avail. Like all those before her, he could feel the steel cord muscles flex and bend to the young woman's wishes. He had no choice, but to tap out, not wanting to pass out in front of his comrades. Lily released him at once, leaping back and watching from a distance as he coughed, getting his breath back and standing.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I think that the half-blind girl that you were referring to just kicked your ass," she said seriously.

Rage surged through Samuel's eyes and he looked at one of the men standing in the ground outside the boxing ring. "Robert, come give me a hand," he said. The man nodded, stepping into the arena. Lily gave a sharp whistle and there was a blur of black and brown fur before Macy was standing next to her, growling fiercely. Both men shared a glance of amusement before starting to move closer to the pair.

Lily looked down at Macy before giving one swift nod. The dog's eyes glowed brightly before both females moved forward. "Now!" she shouted, lunging at Samuel. Macy did the same for Robert, leaping up and biting down on his arm. Robert shouted out in pain, moving to kick the dog in the side. Macy dropped instantly, laying down close to the ground and biting at his ankle.

Lily did a sidekick to Samuel's head, but he ducked and delivered his own side kick to her side. She moved to the side with surprising speed, his heel just nicking her ribs. Then she thrust her fist forward, hitting him in the ribs. He hissed in pain before moving forward once more, aiming for her blind side. Lily sensed the fist coming toward her, turning on her heel and grabbing the fist before it hit her. Samuel looked at her fist in shock, then glanced at the look on Lily's face just as she twisted her hand and arm, flipping Samuel onto the floor and on his back. She moved his own arm in front of his throat this time, holding him immobilized.

While she did that, she looked over at Macy. "Macy, halten!" she called to the shepherd. The dog stopped where she was, holding Robert to the ground. Blood came from a few spots on his arm and ankle, but nothing that wouldn't heal on its own. She had rushed forward earlier, knocking Robert to the ground and was holding him now by keeping her jaws against his throat, any movement from him causing her to bite deeper.

Duke was stunned, having watch both the dog and owner move with such fluidity and such grace that he wasn't even sure that he could believe his eyes. Everyone else was just as quiet, watching them both in awe. Lily suddenly let Samuel up, backing up and holding her hands in front of her in a defensive posture. Loose strands of hair dangled in her face, but she made no move to push them away, watching Samuel intently. She called out to the dog.

"Ferse, Macy," she said in a calm voice. Macy instantly released Robert and trotted next to her mistress. She bowed slightly to Samuel and Robert. "Excellent fighting techniques, but I've been fighting since I was able to walk."

Samuel didn't say anything, just standing up and giving a single nod of his head. He helped Robert to his feet and left while he still had some dignity.

Lily knelt down next to Macy, whispering to her in German. She stood up at the rustle and hushed whispers that came from the crowd. She turned, eyes wide in surprise as the ninja walked up to her, signaling in sign language. Scarlett hurried forward to translate, but Lily waved her away. "I know what he's saying," she told her, eyes not leaving Snake Eyes as he continued to sign.

_Excellent fighting. Mind going against a ninja?_

Lily smiled, good eye scanning Snake Eye's body language and his build. Finally, she gave a slow nod. "Why not? Good experience. And I promise not to kick you in the groin again," she said, a smile teasing at her lips.

_That would probably be a good thing. Let us begin._

Lily gave a signal Macy, who left the ring and sat down next to Duke. She took a stance and got ready to fight the ninja.

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><p><strong>Halten means hold and ferse means heel in German.<strong>

**Next chapter: Lily battles Snake Eyes! Please R&R!**


	12. Fighting with a Snake

Lily bowed respectfully to Snake Eyes, but kept her head facing upward so that her eyes were still on him. She knew that with an experienced fighter, like he was, would require her to keep her eyes on him at all times.

She got into her stance; legs shoulder length apart, knees slightly bent, weight balanced evenly, and her hands out in front of her. She knew that waiting would only give her the disadvantage, so she immediately lunged.

Snake Eyes wasn't surprised when she attacked first, but he was a bit surprised at how fast she moved. He dodged, aiming a high kick at her back. It made solid contact and Lily stumbled lightly and fell to one knee. He took a step back, waiting for her to recover. He stayed on her left side, staying in her blind spot.

Lily waited for a few seconds before placing both hands in front of her and putting all her weight on her arms and hands. She twisted around in a circle, feeling her feet make contact with Snake Eye's legs. She felt the vibration as he fell to the ground then hissed when she felt him catch himself. She turned her good eye to face him, watching as he caught himself with his hands and doing a backflip, getting back into his own stance. She did a front flip of her own, landing back on her feet and pivoting on her heel to face Snake Eyes. She had to admit, he was good. Actually, he was beyond good. She could tell that this was his area of expertise and he was more superior to her when it came to the arts. She was aware of the power in his kicks and had a feeling that his punches would pack an even bigger punch. And it looked like she was just about to find out.

Snake Eyes gave an unnoticeable incline of his head in satisfaction. The girl was better than he had thought of her to be. He tried staying on her left side to keep her disoriented. So far it was working, as Lily whipped from side to side to keep him in her line of sight. He moved in quickly, getting in close before she could turn all the way. He aimed a punch at her left hip.

Lily attempted to twist around to get the ninja back into her line of sight, but failed. She felt the fist against her hip, and suddenly her leg wouldn't support her. She collapsed before catching herself and supporting her weight on her right leg. She fended him off the best she could, waiting for her leg to recover. When she realized that it probably wouldn't get much better, she stood, keeping her weight still to the right. This gave her the disadvantage. To be at your best, you had to be completely balanced. With her left leg out, she had to shift her weight to the right one. If Snake attacked from her left again, which he most likely would, she would be done for. Her good silver eye hide all emotion, as did her face. She twisted around, facing Snake Eyes once more. He made a quick signal with his hands.

_Surrender?_

Lily gave a chuckle. "I never give up without a fight," she replied before giving a sly smile. In a blur of motion, she shifted her weight back into her left leg, leaping forward. She tackled Snake Eyes's legs, bringing him to the ground. She felt him hit her back, attempting to get her to let go. Lily used her legs to pin down the ninja's, hands at his throat. She twisted around under him, getting a better and more secure grip on his neck with one arm and the other pinning his arms to his sides.

Snake Eyes thrashed like mad against her iron grip, trying to get free. He managed to get a hard hit on her ribs. Lily just grunted in pain, still holding him with all her might. But with his legs and arms pinned and his oxygen getting low, he had no choice but to tap out, something that he had never done before. It went against the grain to give up.

Lily released him in an instant, rolling to the side and staying down on her knees. Sweat poured freely from her brow, the front of her shirt soaked straight through. She was panting for breath, the fight having taken a lot out of her. She held her ribs, knowing that they were at least bruised.

Duke stood, mouth gaping open. More than half of the other soldiers watching were doing the same. "Holy crap," he said, almost a whisper. In all the time that he had been here, never had he seen Snake Eyes beaten. Never.

Lily stood up and held a hand out to Snake Eyes to help him up. He politely accepted, knowing a truce when he saw one. He nodded to Lily, making quick signals with his hands.

_Amazing work. Finally, a challenge._

Lily chuckled, blushing slightly. "Thanks. You weren't too bad yourself," she replied.

_If I may be so bold in asking, how did you recover so quickly from the strike to the hip?_

"Old trick," was all she said, a distant look flashing in her eyes for less than a second before disappearing once more.

Snake Eyes nodded before he bowed deeply to Lily. _I thank you for the challenge. And for an interesting match. I hope that we may duel again sometime._

"It was mostly luck, but I look forward to dueling again with you soon," Lily agreed, exiting the ring. She gladly took the water bottle from Duke, drinking more than half the bottle and splashing the rest down her neck and back. She was tired and bruised, but happy with her accomplishment. Many of the soldiers that had been watching gave her a slap on the back and told her "congrats". She just nodded her thanks, too tired to reply properly. Duke waved away the soldiers, gripping Lily's shoulders and steering her out of the training room.

"That was amazing!" Duke said after they had left the room. "Never in all the years that I have been here have I seen anyone beat Snake Eyes."

Lily gave a small shrug, stroking Macy on the head as she followed them out. "Just lucky," she said, sitting down on the floor. She pulled off her shirt, revealing the white, workout camisole underneath. Large bruises were already starting to show on her ribs, arms, and shoulders. More she could feel forming on her hip, thighs, and calves. "Haven't had that much of a workout in ages," she said, looking over the bruises before pulling her tank top back over her camisole. She looked up to footsteps on the tiling. It was the large black man, Ripcord.

Duke gave a nod to Lily before he looked over at his friend. He appeared to be in a hurry. "What's the rush, Rip?" he asked. Ripcord gave a grin.

"General Hawk wants to see us, especially Lily. Apparently the general has been busy. Two trucks just arrived with tiger and bear cubs for her to start training, along with a few others," Ripcord said, glancing over at Lily and then back at Duke. He frowned and glanced back at Lily, taking in her weary form and the edges of the bruises under her shirt. "What the hell happened to you?"


	13. Tigers, Lions, and Bears, Oh My!

Lily followed quietly after Ripcord, having explained to him what had happened in the training room, and Duke to the main area. In truth, she was excited. She had trained everything from domestic animals to birds of prey, but never wild animals. She had come close, training a couple of odd circus animals here and there, but that didn't count. What did count was the young cubs that were being unloaded from a large truck.

Lily immediately went over to General Hawk. "The animals haven't been under any stress from the ride, I presume?" she asked him instantly.

General Hawk gave a nod. "Of course. They were taken while they were sleeping. No harm came to the mother or the siblings. Right now, we have two bear cubs, three lion cubs, and one tiger cub."

Lily nodded in satisfaction. "Can you take them to my private quarters?" she asked. "I don't want them to be under any more stress than they probably already are. I know you might not have inflicted any on purpose, but they will be stressed by not hearing their siblings and parents around. Have they been tranquilized?"

General Hawk gave another nod. "They have," he replied. "And I will personally make sure that they are transported without any trouble."

"Good. I'll meet you there in a few minutes," Lily told him, turning to go to her room.

"Just a quick question Lily," Hawk said, stopping her in her tracks. He was looking at the bruises that poked out from under her tank top. "Did you duel with Snake Eyes?"

Lily gave a sly nod. "Yes sir," she told him. "Believe me, everyone knows about the fight. Just asked anyone and they'll tell you what happened." She gave him a wink before jogging off to her quarters without another word, Macy trotting obediently at her heels.

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><p>Lily arrived at her "private quarters" after having taken a quick shower and changing into a different tank top and some sweats. The quarters was actually just an off-to-the-side training room that no one used. When she had been Viper, Lily had come here all the time to train and practice with her brother.<p>

She looked over at one corner of the room. There on the wall was a symbol. Lily went over to it, running her hand down the slightly faded symbol. The image was in the shape of a serpent wrapped around a volcano, flames erupting from the top of it. She gave a sad smile and turned back around to face General Hawk. She gave him a nod and went over to see the cubs.

She ran her fingers down the back of the tiger cub. The small cub gave a loud cry, searching blindly with his paws for his mother's teat. Lily reached behind her and grabbed one of the bottles that sat behind her, not taking her eyes off from the cub. She picked the tiger up by the scruff, placing it into her lap and placing the nipple from the bottle into its mouth. While the cub was suckling, she checked it over. "Female," she announced before taking the now, sleeping cub and setting her on a nest of fern leaves and moss that had been brought in from the forest with her. She rubbed her back to stimulate digestion. As she did this, she also looked over the cub's markings. The stripes were like any other tigers', but what really caught her eye was the little cross that was on her forehead. Lily smiled. "I am going to call her Eve. It means radiant and beautiful in Gaelic."

General Hawk nodded. "And I also have someone to be her handler. His name is Scott. I hope that he will be a suitable surrogate mother for Eve. Here's his file if you want to look it over," he said, holding out a large manilla file to Lily.

Lily took the file and flipped through it. She gave a slow nod. "Ok, I'll give him a try. Make sure that he's here tomorrow for the morning feeding. Same goes for the handlers of the bear and lion cubs." She handed the file back to General Hawk. "I'll look over the other files later on once I take care of the other cubs," she said, picking up the first lion cub. As she fed the cub, she looked him over as she had done with Eve. "Male," she said. Because of his mixture of yellow and brown fur, she named him Shaba, meaning 'bronze' in Swahili. After that, she moved onto the other lion cubs, another male and a female. She named the white female lion cub Malaika, meaning angel, and the golden male Prince.

After taking care of the lion cubs, Lily moved onto the bear cubs. They were bigger than the lion cubs, both of them being grizzly bear cubs. A male and a female. Both had rough, chocolate brown fur. Without a seconds hesitation, she named the male bear Orion, knowing that this cub would be a powerful warrior. She looked down at the female cub, nursing her and rubbing her back. This one would be hard to name. The female had a lighter colored muzzle and darker colored legs, a bit unusual for a grizzly. She was sweet, too, nibbling on her fingers, but she had fight in her. She had spirit. That's when Lily had her name. "Bonita," she said. The name meant 'pretty, beautiful, lively' in Spanish and Portuguese. She gave a soft smile.

After all the cubs had been fed and were asleep, Lily looked through the files that General Hawk had given her of the handlers of the cubs. She wanted to make sure that they would be good for each and seeing how their personalities matched up. If they didn't, she switched what cub they would get. She was surprised when she came by her own name in the files. She looked through it, seeing that she was being recommended to take care of Bonita. She gave a smile. A job that she would happily do.

Once she was done looking through the files and had eaten dinner, Lily went back to her own room to get some sleep before she met the new handlers of the cubs in the morning. Macy was missing, but that was because she had left the shepherd to watch over the cubs. There was also a camera in the room and a monitor in her hand. No one would be getting into the room without her knowing. And with that happy thought, she lay down and fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Hope that you guys are enjoying this story! I still need a codename for Lily if you guys would like to throw some ideas my way, which I hope you do. ) Please review! And thanks for reading!<strong>


	14. Learning About Cubs and the Talk

A cry from the monitor on Lily's nightstand jolted her from her sleep. She startled and fell with a thump on the ground, legs tangled up in the bedsheets. Lily growled under her breath and untangled her legs before hurriedly looking at the monitor. She gave a small, relieved sigh. The cubs were awake and just looking for food. Thankful that nothing had been wrong, Lily quickly got dressed and headed down towards her private room, which was now being called the nursery.

Even before Lily opened up the door, there was a low whine as Macy smelled her mistress on the other side. Lily smiled and opened the door. The first thing she saw was her German Shepherd, curled around the lion cubs. The second thing was the tigress and bear cubs curled up together. With her mind now at rest, Lily started to prepare the bottles for the cubs, all the while waiting for the handlers that she had approved of to arrive.

Five minutes passed before the first of the handlers arrived. It was Scott, the man she had approved to take care of Eve. "Good morning," she said, handing him a bottle. "Know how to nurse a tigress cub?"

Scott looked a bit overwhelmed for a second before taking the bottle and giving a slow nod. "Yes ma'am," he said, sitting down on the floor and picking Eve up by the scruff and setting her in his lap. He tested the milk on his wrist, something that Lily greatly approved of, before giving the nipple to the baby tigress.

Lily smiled slightly and sat down as well, feeding Bonita. She looked up as two more people came into the nursery, one who she recognized. "Hey Snake. Heard you got assigned to Shaba. He's the bronze one by Macy," she told him, nodding towards the lion cub.

Snake Eyes gave a small nod and joined the others on the floor, picking up the cub with strong, yet gentle hands and starting to feed him. The second person was a woman named Sasha, assigned to Orion. Like the others, she knew her way around a bottle, expertly taking it and testing the milk on her wrist before starting to feed the second grizzly bear cub.

Another minute passed before the last two handlers arrived, a man and a woman. The two were lovers and had just recently been engaged. Lily nodded her head to the couple. "Richard, you have Prince, and Rose, you have Malaika," she told them, finished with feeding Bonita and now gently rubbing her back, using her fingers to gently get rid of the knots in her fur. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few of the others doing the same. Snake Eyes was even allowing Shaba to nibble on his fingertip. She gave a small smile, hiding it behind her hair.

Once all the cubs had been fed and where contently laying down on their handlers' laps. Lily spoke in a soft, quiet voice. "These cubs are to be trained to fight once they are older. But that we will worry about later. Right now, we worry about them bonding to you and only you. I have a tactic that can be used in case something happens to you. Again, we will worry about that later. Remember, these cubs must bond to you. You must feed them four times a day and wash them three times a day. Once their eyes open, which will be very soon, we will start with commands and hand signals. You may use words if you would like, but it will be more effective to use hand signals," she explained to the group.

To demonstrate, she looked over at Macy and made a simple motion with her hand. Macy lay down flat on her stomach and she crawled towards them until Lily gave another signal and she froze. Lily smiled and gave a slight wave of her hand. Macy's tail wagged, knowing that she had done girl. She looked back at the group. "By the end of their second year, your cubs will be able to do that just as easily. Until then, take the cubs everywhere with you. You must bond with them and they must bond with you. We will meet here at the end of the day, so that the cubs may be checked up on and I know that they are in good hands. Dismissed," she said.

The handlers left, cubs in hand. Lily was about to leave herself when she saw that Snake Eyes had stayed. "Something wrong Snake?" she asked.

Snake Eyes looked up from Shaba, signaling with his hands. _Why did you pick me to take responsibility of a lion cub?_

Lily gave a small smile. "Because I knew that you could handle it a lot better than the other handlers. A lot of people look up to you Snake. I chose you so that you could help them."

_Even I know that you can handle the responsibility better than all of us. _Snake Eyes pointed out.

Lily shrugged slightly. "I don't want people looking up to me as they do to you. I've made too many mistakes as it is and I don't want these cubs to suffer from it," she said quietly.

_Let me guess; one of those mistakes involved your brother, did it not? _

Lily glared at him before she gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah, it did," she replied bitterly. "I blame myself for his death. The last time I spoke to him was in this room," she said wistfully. Her good silver eye looked at the painting on the wall.

Snake Eyes followed her gaze. _Did your brother paint that?_

"Yeah. We trained in here all the time when we joined the Joes. We were both outcasts mostly, nobody really wanted to be around us." Lily looked at Snake Eyes. "That is a different story that I may or may not tell on a later date," she said before continuing. "Anyway, he told me that he wanted to make this our "secret room". His codename was Eruption because of his reckless behavior at times. So, he painted the volcano erupting and had a viper wrapping around it. That's the story of the painting," Lily said.

_Well, I guess I had better get going. I have to teach a class in a few minutes._ Snake Eyes said, looking down at Shaba. _Will he be ok in the training room?_

Lily thought about it for a second before giving a nod. "He should be fine. Just keep an eye on him and try to keep things quiet."

Snake Eyes nodded and got up to leave, the bronze lion cub asleep in his arms.

"And Snake?"

The ninja turned just as he was opening up at the door. _Yes?_

"Thanks," Lily said simply.

His mask moved slightly as a smile touched his lips. _Anytime, _he replied before leaving the nursery.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, so I have a small list of codenames for Lily. I would like you guys to vote on which one you would prefer and the one with the most by the end of next week will be her new codename. Here they are:<strong>

**Diana (goddess of the hunt in Roman mythology)**

**Artio (Bear goddess in Celtic mythology)**

**Unut (Snake goddess/Hare goddess in Egyptian mythology)**

**Whisper (credit goes to HextheDaydreamer)**

**TNT (credit goes to Rini267) **

**Phoenix**

**Vote now! Thanks! And don't forget...REVIEW!**


	15. You Naughty Cub!

Three weeks later...

"Bonita, get back here!" Lily chased the naughty cub through the hallways of the Pit. She caught sight of Duke ahead. "Duke, grab her!" she shouted. The blonde hair soldier just turned to face the cub when she darted between his legs. Lily tried to backpedal, but her momentum carried her forward, ramming into Duke and knocking them both to the ground.

"Ow," she said, picking herself up from the floor. She stood up and held out a hand to help Duke up. "Sorry."

Duke gave a slight groan, rubbing his neck. "It's ok. What's up with the bear?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She's my charge," Lily explained quickly. "She figured out how to open my door while I was in the bathroom and ran out. I've been chasing her for over five minutes now. Speaking of which, I have to go and get her before she ends up getting hurt," she said hurriedly before racing off after the bear cub.

Lily grabbed the corner of the wall as she turned to keep herself from slipping and sliding on the floor. Only thing was, the wall was on the left, so she couldn't see the ninja on the other side until she almost rammed into him as she had done to Duke. Luckily, Snake Eyes moved to the side just in time, just barely avoiding being flattened by Lily. "Bonita?" she asked him.

Snake Eyes jerked a thumb towards the hallway behind him. Shaba looked up at Lily from beside Snake Eyes, gold eyes curious as always.

"Thanks Snake," she said, giving a small smile to Shaba before running off again. She caught sight of the grizzly bear cub and ran faster. Lily lunged forward, scooping the heavy bear cub up into her arms and coming to a stop. Bonita looked up at her surrogate mother with innocent, dark brown eyes. Lily gave a huff. "Don't give me that look, missy," she said, turning and walking back towards her room.

On the way back, she met up with Duke again. He chuckled. "That the troublemaker?" he asked.

Lily nodded. "Yes, this would be the one," she replied with a small sigh, rubbing the cub's rough fur. Since being assigned to her three weeks ago, she had grown, almost doubling in both weight and size. Even now, Lily was having a difficult time holding onto the squirming cub.

"Well, looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Duke joked and headed off towards the training room.

Lily gave a small growl and blew a strand piece of her brown hair from her face. She shifted Bonita in her arms and headed off towards the nursery for a training session with the lion and tiger cubs. Because of the difference in species, Lily had thought of it better to teach the big cats away from the bears so that they wouldn't be confused on commands. Along with that, the big cat cubs were to be taught different commands than what the bears would be learning.

She entered the nursery, Bonita still in her arms. Lily barely went anywhere without her. She placed the bear cub in her own little area before sitting down to join the other handlers. All four cubs had grown as well, though not as much as the bear cubs had. But they all had just as much energy, wrestling and playing around with each other. While the lion and tiger cubs played, Lily spoke with the handlers, making sure that the cubs were getting enough food, that they were bonding, and that the health of the cubs were still well. Once Lily was satisfied with all their answers, she told them to call their cubs to them.

Richard looked at the wrestling mass of cubs and gave a deep growl. Almost immediately, Prince broke away from the others and went to his side.

Lily nodded in satisfaction and looked over at Rose, indicating for her to call Malaika.

Rose gave a small nod before making a sound between a deep growl and a purr. When the albino cub didn't come to her, she did it again, louder. This time, Malaika padded over to Rose, purring back at her.

Once Rose had called her cub, Snake Eyes made a swift motion of his hands, sliding them together and past each other. This resulted in a strange hissing sound to be made. It was strange, but effective, Shaba returning to him with a happy flick of his tail.

Scott called to Eve with a soft gurgling noise and the tigress ran over to him, purring loudly.

Lily smiled. "I see that everyone has been working on their call names. Very nicely done. Remember to keep up with this part of their training. Even when it seems they have it, keep working on it. You can never have enough practice. Anyway, today I am going to give you something new to practice. Along with noises, you need to use your hands. When in battle, there may be times when you can't make a noise or it's too loud for you to hear anything. Use signals with your hands along with noises. Using the noises now gets their attention because they are cubs and will respond to it easier and quicker. You can make up a signal or use something that is easily recognizable," Lily said. "Scott, I want you to make a signal with your hands and look at Eve. Make sure that her attention is on you."

Scott gave a small bob of his head and thought for a few minutes before making his gurgling noise to get her attention. Once the tigress was looking at him, he crossed his index fingers to make a cross.

Lily nodded in approval. "Very good. Now, when you make that signal, also say her name. She will soon associate her name with that symbol. Continue with that in your area while I help the others."

Scott nodded swiftly before taking Eve to the area that had been given to him and starting to practice with her.

While Scott did that, Lily moved from one handler to the next. Richard chose to tap his temple twice for Prince and Rose chose to make a heart with her hands for Malaika. Lily looked at Snake Eyes expectantly. "What have you chosen, Snake?" she asked.

In answer to her question, Snake Eyes took his right hand and curled it into a fist. He rapped it against the left side of his chest two times. Lily smiled. "Good one," she said. "I like it."

_Thank you._ Snake Eyes signaled to her politely.

Lily smiled again and stood up. "I better go check on Bonita," she said. "See you around Snake."

She went over to where she had left Bonita and was startled to see that the small area was empty. "Bonita?" Lily looked around the nursery, starting to become slightly panicked when she saw no sign of the bear cub.

That is, until she saw that the door was slightly ajar from where the sly cub had figured out once again to open up the door and had slipped out. "Bonita!" Lily shouted and raced out the door, making sure to close it all the way behind her before once more racing after the naughty cub.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Remember to vote for Lily's new codename:<strong>_

**Diana (goddess of the hunt in Roman mythology): votes: 0**

**Artio (Bear goddess in Celtic mythology): votes: 0**

**Unut (Snake goddess/Hare goddess in Egyptian mythology): votes: 2**

**Whisper (credit goes to HextheDaydreamer): votes: 3**

**TNT (credit goes to Rini267): votes: 0**

**Phoenix: votes: 1**

_**You only have 10 days to do so!**_


	16. One Secret Down, A Billion More To Go

Weeks changed into months and months changed into a year. Lily had yet to come by a new codename, but every now and again she would hear the rest of the Alpha Team talking about it. Still, she wondered when they would actually give it to her.

In a year, Lily had become the official sniper for the Alpha Team and trained whenever she had free time. Snake Eyes had been teaching her new moves, helping her to defend her left side just as well as her right. Along with the training, they had been getting pretty close. Lily even taught him how to watch and see what the animals were saying with their body language.

Bonita was humongous, made completely of steel muscle and fur, and still getting bigger. Out of the six cubs, she was one of the largest so far, weighing just under 500 lbs. and with claws the size of razor blades. The other cubs were developing fantastically, the male lions' manes just starting to come in at the base of their necks.

* * *

><p>Lily walked confidently through the halls of the Pit, heading towards the training room. So far, she had kept her secrets to herself, but was wondering how much longer she would be able to keep them. Not for long, she was sure. For now, she was thinking about the sparing match that had been arranged between herself and Snake Eyes. They had had many matches over the year, both having the same number of wins and the same number of looses. Guess it just depended on the day. Bonita walked behind Lily, her head just coming above her knees. She was still as beautiful as ever. Macy walked by Lily's side, as she had been doing all her life.<p>

She entered the training room, Bonita going over to her corner as she had been trained to do. Macy stayed by Lily's side, sitting down on the edge of the sparring mat. While she waited for Snake Eyes, Lily meditated as he had shown her, controlling her breathing and sending out her senses.

It was about five minutes later when she was able to pick up just the slightest vibration coming off from Snake Eye's feet touching the ground. She smiled, opening her silver eyes. "Was wondering how much longer I was going to have to wait," she joked, taking in one last deep breath before standing up, stretching partially. She continued to stretch out her legs and arms while Snake Eyes did the same. "Ready when you are," she said.

Snake Eyes's shoulders shook slightly at his soundless chuckle. He got into his stance and Lily got into hers. A few of the Joe members already in the training room watched, but most continued on with their training. They were used to watching the two spar.

Lily made the first move, darting in as fast as a striking cobra, aiming a roundhouse kick to Snake's ribs. He blocked it with ease, just as Lily suspected that he would do. She stayed perfectly balanced on her left leg and pirouetted, swinging her fist at the other side of his ribs. She just managed to graze his ribs before he backed up, lashing out at Lily's left leg which was also her blind side. She was only disoriented for a moment before she shifted her weight onto her right leg, picking her left one up just as Snake knocked it out from under her. She took a split second to regain her center of balance before lashing out again, using a technique that she had learned from Bonita. She fell to all fours and bunched her hind legs under her before pushing off from the balls of her feet, launching herself into his midsection. He struck her back a couple of times, causing her to wince and backpedal slightly, giving Snake Eyes the advantage. He pulled himself into a ball and landed on his feet before rolling his shoulders back and putting his weight on his hands, kicking out with his feet at Lily's shins. She couldn't move fast enough, the impact knocking her down. She hurried to get to her feet, only to find Snake Eyes's hand by her neck and the other flat by her ribs. She chuckled, knowing when she was defeated.

"Looks like you win today, Snake," Lily said with a smile, excepting his hand to help her off her back. Then, she looked over at Bonita and gave a low growl to call her over. Time for a wrestling match. Bonita walked over onto the mat, sitting back on her hind legs.

Lily waited until Snake Eyes had left the mat to watch before getting into a defensive position, crouched down partially with her hands in front of her. Her eyes flashed and she growled a challenge to her grizzly bear cub. The large cub growled back, falling back onto all fours. Then she rushed forward, wrapping her massive paws around Lily's neck and shoulders, like she was giving her a hug. Lily could feel the power behind her paws, knowing that Bonita knew better than to hurt her. Lily smiled slightly before twisting out of Bonita's grip and leaping behind the bear's back, wrapping her arms around her neck. Bonita stood tall on her hind legs, twisting both ways to fling Lily off. Lily landed on the ground with a thud before she got back onto her feet and tackled Bonita again. This went on for many minutes, both females, bear and human, in what looked like a fierce battle, but neither picking up any major injuries. A few tufts of fur missing and shallow cuts and bruises were all the showed from the fight. When they pulled apart, both were panting for breath.

Lily approached Bonita and scratched behind her ear. "Good girl," she said breathlessly, grabbing a bottle of water. She filled a bowl for Bonita before drinking her own fill, splashing some of it to wash away the blood on her arms and legs. And then it happened.

Bonita moved over to Lily and nudged her lower back, moving up her tank top. A tattoo was visible for all to see. Once Lily realized it, she gave a gasp and pulled her shirt back down, covering it back up. But that was before the Alpha Team had seen it, especially Snake Eyes. She looked around the training room, her face carefully guarded. Only her eyes showed how stressed and scared she was. "Not here. My room," she said before leaving instantly, Macy and Bonita right behind her.

* * *

><p>Once everyone was assembled in Lily's room, she turned around and reluctantly pulled up her shirt slightly. A tattoo was embedded just above her lower back. The tattoo was the outline of a cobra. Inside of the cobra, were three other objects. A viper, a volcano, and what looked like a tornado.<p>

Everyone was silent before Duke finally spoke up. "I don't understand. What's so important about the tattoo? And why hide it from us?"

Pain and fear flashed across Lily's brilliant silver eyes, mouth contorted as if she had eaten something that had been run over by a truck, left out in the sun for a week, and then run over again. Snake Eyes rested a hand on her shoulder.

_You don't have to tell us if you don't want too. It is your secret and you should tell it when you want to,_ he signed.

Lily gave a heavy sigh, eyes glittering as tears came to her eyes. This is what shocked everyone. Lily never cried. Ever.

She sighed again. "No Snake. This is something that needs to be told." She paused before speaking again. "I got the tattoo because it symbolized my brother, my fiancé, and..." She took a deep breath, a tear running down her cheek. "And my father."

Once again, everyone was silent. And again, Duke spoke first. "What are you saying?" he asked.

Lily closed her eyes, more tears slipping through her closed eyelids. "What I'm saying Duke, is that my father is Cobra Commander."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Remember to vote for Lily's new codename:<strong>_

**Unut (Snake goddess/Hare goddess in Egyptian mythology): votes: 3**

**Whisper (credit goes to HextheDaydreamer): votes: 4**

**Phoenix: votes: 1**

_** You may vote more than once if you wish, but no more than two times please. Votes close two days after this chapter is posted.**_

**And Dundundun! Lily's father is Cobra Commander! What will come next! I don't know, but what I do know is that you need to...what for it...REVIEW!**


	17. The Real Truth

**Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and voted! And now what you've all been waiting for: A NEW CHAPTER! R&R please. Virtual cookies are waiting for those who do. ;)**

* * *

><p><em>"My father is Cobra Commander."<em>

Those words would echo and haunt the minds of the Alpha Team for months on end. The blood drained from all of their faces, and Lily had a feeling that the same was Snake Eyes, even if he didn't show it.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you guys sooner, but I didn't know how you would react," Lily said softly, eyes to the ground. She sat down on the edge of her bed, head in her hands. Distress was etched onto every line of her body, showing how much this secret had worn down on her. "But that is no excuse for hiding something as big as this from my teammates and friends," she said just as softly. She looked up when someone touched her shoulder, her silver eyes meeting the black mask of Snake Eyes.

_Don't punish yourself over it, _he signed. _We don't chose our parents._

Lily sighed heavily. "I know, but that doesn't keep me from regretting that I didn't tell you." Another hand touched her other shoulder, and Lily looked over at Duke.

"Snake Eyes is right, Lily. You shouldn't blame yourself for not telling us. It's not your fault," he said gently. Ripcord and Scarlett both nodded in agreement. "Does Hawk know?" he asked.

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. He's been hinting that he knows, but if he does, he hasn't confronted me about it. He trusts me enough to know that I would never turn against the Joes. Why would I have joined in the first place?"

Duke knew that now would probably be the best time to ask. "Lily, what happened to Jackson, your brother?"

Lily looked up at him sharply, fresh pain and hurt in her eyes, before sighing again in defeat. "You guys do have a right to know. First off though, my brother's name is Jason, not Jackson. Where did you get that from?" she asked.

She cut Duke off before he could answer. "Never mind. Anyways, Jason's codename was Eruption. William's was Tempest, and mine was Viper."

Duke interrupted, confused. "Who's William?" he asked.

Lily frowned. "William was my fiancé," she said. "I thought that you knew that."

Duke's mind was reeling, remembering when General Hawk had said that his name had been Daniel, not William. He shook his head to Lily. "Never mind," he said, though he knew he would be having a talk with Hawk later.

Lily frowned again, but continued. "Jason and William joined the Joes before I did. We didn't know that our father was yet working for cobra. We thought he was just away on business. It was a few months after Jason and Will joined before they started talking to me able joining. My father was also trying to get me to join up with him on business. I see now that it was just a ploy to get me to be close to him, to join him. It was a good thing I didn't," she said. She paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"A few weeks later, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be closer to my brother, so I decided to try and join the Joes. Turns out, I was built to be in the military. Passed every test with flying colors with help from my two best friends. After that, I became the official sniper and about a month later, we went out on our first mission." Again, she paused, her throat starting to tighten. "We had to fight my father. He was performing experiments on humans. It...it was just...horrid. People in cells and being tested on. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, nor could I believe that my father was behind it. I don't really remember much of what happened. There was gunfire everywhere." Tears were pooling up in Lily's eyes. "I heard a scream and I think a bomb or something went off. Jason had been shot and had shrapnel all over him. Will had to drag him out. Both were covered in blood..." She couldn't go on any further, skipping ahead in her story.

"The medics ran some tests on Jason. They found nanomites in his system from the explosion, but I think that my father got ahold of him and injected them into him. The medics debated on whether or not to just kill Jason then, put him out of his misery, in as bad of shape as he was. Will and I spent a lot of time together, hoping and praying that my brother would get better. He never did. In fact, he just got worse. Eruption suited him even better than before. He would throw fits and have seizures. One medic finally decided to try a new experimental medicine to...purge Jason's body of the nanomites. He never asked anyone, didn't have orders, just did it. Then, a few hours later, my brother was changed. He didn't recognize who we were, or where he was. He was...angrier, more violent, and unpredictable. He was like that for months, being kept in the infirmary most of the time. Will stayed with him all the time, trying to get him to remember. I couldn't stand being with him. He seemed to hate me, yelling and going into his fits almost every time I came near him. The last time I talked to him was in our private training room, one of the rare times he was calm enough to talk to me. I told him that I was going on a mission, but that I would be back. He wasn't very happy about it, but he kept his temper in check for once," Lily said, smiling every so slightly.

"Everything changed after that. We found out something about the experimental medicine. The medicine destroyed the nanomites, but it also shut down his major organs, very slowly. Jason's heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, everything. All shut down, demolished. He was dead before we could even get to his side. Will and I went...out of minds, I guess you could say. We really were a tempest and viper then. We tackled the doctor that had injected him, beat him within an inch of his life. We were both restrained put into separate holding cells," Lily said, looking back down at her hands. A few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"It was a few moments heard noises from Will's cell. Then, I heard gunshots and..." Once again, she couldn't go on, more tears pouring down her face. "Someone came into my cell. They said that they had had to kill Will because the nanomites were in him as they had been in Jason, dormant. The wounds he had gotten from the mission...Jason's infected blood had gotten into his bloodstream...didn't know what else to do. I lost it. My brother and fiancé, both dead within the same day. I never saw either of them die. I wasn't there for them. The experimental medicine had killed Jason and caused them to kill Will, so that he wouldn't have to suffer as Jason had been. I didn't even know that he was suffering. I went out on my last mission then. That's when I was blinded and I ran off, wanting to get away." Tears streaked freely down Lily's face.

"So there you go. There's my story," she said softly before breaking down, head in her hands as she cried for her lost teammates. Her lost friends. Her lost family.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope I didn't make you guys cry too much. Almost cried myself a little. Anyway, please REVIEW! What should happen next? I will gladly take any ideas and I promise to give credit if you give me an idea. Now that that's out of the way, I also have a notice for you guys. School starts Monday, can you believe it? I won't be posting as often as I have been, so I apologize, but I will whenever I can for my faithful readers. So, thanks guys for being so AWESOME!<strong>


	18. Codename and Dinner:What Could Go Wrong?

The rest of the Alpha Team waited silently and patiently while Lily recovered from telling her story. They all shared looks with each other, wondering if now would be a good time to give her her new codename. Duke shook his head, signaling that they should wait until later when Lily was in a more stable mood.

Lily cried for about five more minutes before she took a deep breath. Two minutes after that, she was breathing easily and most of her tears had dried up. It had felt good to cry. She had always been told that crying was a sign of weakness, but now she knew how wrong that was. Crying just showed that you cared and that you had a heart. Now that she was back in control of herself, she looked up. "So, any questions?" she asked, her voice a bit raspy.

Duke thought twice, then a third time about asking. He finally did. He needed to know. "So, what's with the tattoo?" he asked slowly.

Lily looked at him, giving the smallest of smiles. "We all had them. Jason, Will, and I. We all had the viper, volcano, and tornado. Viper, Eruption, and Tempest. It was our symbol, our mark. After they had both died, I had the cobra added around it. A permanent reminder of how they died and why. My father got away during that mission. He won't get away from me a second time," she said icily, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Duke gave a nod and held out his hand, curling it into a fist. Ripcord, picking up on what Duke was inquiring, stacked his own fist on top of Duke's. This continued, Lily placing her fist on top. "To the Alpha Team," he said strongly, power and passion coming out in his voice.

"To the Alpha Team," the others chorused before unstacking their fists. Snake Eyes looked over at Duke and he nodded. The ninja placed a hand on Lily's shoulder and signaled out something.

Her silver eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked, glancing at the others. One-by-one they nodded, and Lily's smile widened.

"To become an official member of the Alpha Team in our minds, you have to have a codename. Isn't that right, guys?" Duke asked. They all nodded, smiling almost just as widely as Lily was. Her expectant silver eyes were on Duke, waiting. "To come by a codename for you was rough. We didn't know whether to go by something similar to your old codename or to come up with something completely different. But we finally came by it," Duke said. He held out his fist once more and the others stacked theirs as well. Duke looked at Lily straight in the eye. "Welcome to the Alpha Team, Whisper."

Lily's heart was beating rapidly. _Whisper._ She gave a nod. "It's perfect," she said quietly, eyes aglow.

* * *

><p>General Hawk looked up from his paperwork when Duke entered his office. "Duke, what are you doing here?" he asked.<p>

Duke stood in front of his commander. "I want to know why you lied to me about what happened to Lily's brother," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

General Hawk gave a tired sigh. "I lied to you because it wasn't my story to tell. It was hers. Lying to you was the only way I could keep my promise to her. I promised her when she came back that I wouldn't tell anyone unless she gave me permission or she told it herself," he explained.

"What about her father?" Duke pressed.

"What? That he is the Cobra Commander?" Hawk asked. "I've known ever since she stepped foot in here. Those silver eyes are rare, you know. And ones that match up almost perfectly? There was no questioning it."

Duke nodded slowly. "Thank you, sir," he said before leaving without another word.

* * *

><p>Lily... no, Whisper met up with the others in the mess hall for dinner. Tonight was meatloaf, one of her favorites. Macy trotted at her heels, Bonita back at her room taking a nap.<p>

Whisper entered the mess hall and sat down at their usual table with her meal. Macy lay down under the table at her feet, hoping for a couple of scraps. She ate a couple of bites and looked up only when the rest of the Alpha Team joined her. She gave them all a smile, but her biggest smile was aimed at Snake Eyes when he finally sat down.

"Hey, have you guys heard about the new recruits?" Scarlett asked when they were about halfway done with their meal.

Whisper gave a small nod. "I heard. Three guys, right?" she asked, taking another bite of her meatloaf.

Scarlett nodded. "Yup. Also heard that one of them was deaf, but that just makes him better, being able to feel the vibrations against the ground and all."

"True," Whisper said. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off when everyone in the mess hall suddenly went quiet. She looked up to see the three guys that they had just been talking about entered, General Hawk with them. All three were tall, buff, and had the look of intelligence to them. Whisper almost instantly stiffened. She knew two of the new men. They had known her as Viper when she had been with the Joes before. The third man she didn't recognize, so she guessed that this was the deaf man. She tapped her foot against the ground, getting Macy's attention. Things could be getting ugly within a few moments.

Whisper pretended to be more interested in her meal, hoping that the rest of the team would pick up what she was implying. Thankfully, they did, going back to what they had been talking about before, mostly about how the training with the lion and tiger cubs was coming along. Shaba was back in Snake Eyes's room, resting after having been through training sessions all day. Whisper was hoping that the men would just pass on by, but she knew that she wasn't that lucky. _ Here we go again_, she thought.

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><p><strong>Wow ok, cliffhanger! What will the guys do with Whisper? Dundundun! Please R&amp;R! Thanks lots for reading!<strong>


	19. Food Fight

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our little viper. Rejoining the Joes now are we?" one of the men asked, moving over to their table.

Whisper's silver eye flashed dangerously. "Yes," she said icily. "And why should that concern you? My life is my own."

The man chuckled. "Why wouldn't it concern me? You were a teammate after all, ain't that right, Viper?" he asked. His Southern accent was coming out some, enough for Whisper to detect.

"Because you are no longer my teammate, Bull. The Alpha Team is. And my name is not Viper, not anymore. It's Whisper," she said, a familiar coolness coming into her voice, one that the rest of her team recognized. She was warning him. Strike One.

Bull rolled his eyes. "And what kind of sissy name is that? Sounds too girly for you, Viper," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. His friend stood next to Bull, touching his shoulder, warning him. Bull rolled his shoulder, the other man removing his hand. "Keep off, Sting. I know what I'm doing," he growled.

Sting looked at Whisper with a sad, but determined look. He mouthed something to her and she smiled slightly before turning her attention back onto Bull. "Is that right?" she asked. Her muscles tensed and she set her fork down. Strike Two.

Bull rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, that's right. I mean, come on? Whisper, really?" he asked with a laugh. When Macy moved under the table to stand, Bull just laughed again. "A dog, Vips? Why would you even bring a dog to this place? Getting lonely all on your own?"

Whisper gave a sigh, standing up. She would tolerate insults to herself, but she would NEVER tolerate insults to her team and/ or her animals. The Alpha Team shared a glance. Strike Three and you're out. She gave a low whistle and Macy moved out from under the table, growling deeply in her throat. Even Bull took a step back, fully seeing the power of the German Shepherd. Whisper looked over at General Hawk for permission and he gave a slight nod, arms crossed. Bull would need to learn that she was not to be messed with.

Whisper gave a nod of her head, smiling slightly. She put her fingers up to her lips and whistled loudly before dropping them.

Bull looked around before chuckling. "Really? A whistle? That's all you got? Well, here's what I got," he said before aiming a punch at Whisper's shoulder. She easily dodged, her hair falling back to show her blind eye.

Bull gave a small start of surprise before chuckling again. "Blind now are we? Guess that apprentice did more damage than I thought," he sneered, giving another punch towards her blind side.

Whisper dodged again, grabbing his fist and twisting. Bull growled in pain before twisting in the direction of his hand and kicking backwards, catching the edge of Whisper's knee. She didn't make a sound, moving quickly and keeping Bull in her sight, kicking out and hitting the inside of his thigh, pulling back and away from him. Her keen ears caught the sound of heavy breathing. She gave a faint smile and just barely dodged two fist punches from Bull. The first punch missed completely, but the second one smacked into the edge of her ribs, causing her to hiss in pain.

"You're getting slow. What's the matter? You need to have help to win your fights now?" Bull taunted.

Whisper chuckled, making a signal with her hands behind Bull's shoulder. "No. I just need my backup. And because I didn't want my team to hurt you too badly, I called in my charge," she said. "Hey Bonita. Came to help?"

Bull looked confused before he felt heavy breathing on his neck. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw the large grizzly bear standing on its hind legs behind him. "What the hell?" he asked in fear and awe.

Whisper smiled. "Bull, meet Bonita. I am training her to fight, just like my dog is." She gave two sharp whistles and both animals stood behind Bull, growling fiercely.

Bull watched them and Whisper for a few moments before he allowed his shoulders to relax. "Fine, I give," he growled.

Whisper gave a nod of her head and turned to walk back to her seat. There was a loud snarl and something black flashed past her. She turned and was shocked to see that Bull had tried to punch her in her back, but his fist was held by Snake Eyes. Eyes flashing angrily, she growled at him before looking over at Snake Eyes. "Don't hurt him too bad Snake. He doesn't have enough honor to be beaten with dignity," she said. She watched as the ninja nodded and twisted Bull's fist, holding him in position before using his foot to send him flying across the floor, stopping right next to Bonita. The grizzly snarled in his face, shoving her four inch long fangs in his face before pulling back, letting him up.

Whisper nodded in satisfaction before going over to sit back down. She looked over at Snake Eyes. "Thank you," she said, a warm smile on her lips. "Now, why don't we finish our meal in peace?" she asked, picking up her fork again. She made another signal with her hand and Bonita lay down a few feet away from the table, Macy laying back down by her mistress's feet. She started talking again with her team. Her new family.

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><p><strong>YAY! First week of school is over and here is your Labor Day present. It's a bit short, but hopefully it made you laugh. Please please please please review! Does anything need to change? Do I need to do anything to make you guys like it more? That's what the little blue button is for at the bottom. Just click it and tell me! Thanks!<strong>


	20. First Mission

**Hey guys, I have some news for you. I am going to be starting another Fanfic story soon. Hope that you guys will read it once I have it up. It'll be an X-Men story, so...yeah. Well, now that I have your attention, why don't I allow you to read the latest chapter of Caged. :)**

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><p><em>Things were changing for sure. Whisper could feel it deep in her bones. What is was, she wasn't all that sure, only that things were changing. Good or bad, helpful or not. Guess she would just have to wait and find out.<em>

A few weeks passed and that's when Whisper's wait was finally over. The change that she had been waiting for.

General Hawk walked into the training room, a grin on his face.

"Congrats guys. You have a mission," he said, his eyes on the Alpha Team.

Whisper shot upright, setting the weights back down on the rack. Her eyes were aglow with a mixture of emotion. Excitement, pain, revenge, adrenaline, and many more. The last time she had been on a mission was when she had lost her eye. The mission before that had resulted in the loss of her brother and William. As you could probably tell, she didn't have a very good history on past missions. But she was no longer Viper or Lily. She was a completely different person. She was Whisper.

Duke went over to Hawk, looking through the file that he was handed. "Australia? Why Australia?" he asked, passing the file over to the rest of the team.

Whisper looked through the file. "Looks like there has been some Cobra activity in a power plant there," she said. "I'm guessing that's why. Why it's Australia though, I don't..." She broke off mid-sentence, eyes widening slightly. "Oh my gosh," she said quietly before shoving the file into Scarlett's hands and running off to her room.

She banged open the door, startling Bonita from her nap, and went over to one of her bookshelves. Whisper grabbed one of her diaries off from the shelf and flipped through it. She stood up and turned to see the rest of her team standing at her doorway. She waved them in, eyes on the page she had opened to.

"What's going on, Whisper?" Ripcord asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Please tell me you haven't though," he added.

Whisper shook her head. "Not a ghost, but close. A ghost of a memory, I guess you can call it. Listen," she said before starting to read from the diary page.

_'June 15, 2005_

_Diary,_

_Dad's finally done it! He's finally gotten a week off and guess where we are going? Australia, that's where! I told him a long time ago that I wanted to go there, to see the kangaroos and the koalas. He especially knows how much I want to see the wild snakes and everything. He even promised to take just the two of us to an old tribal area, to allow me to get closer to nature, as he puts it. I am almost a teenager now and he thinks that I am ready. I don't want to disappoint him. I will always try my hardest to do what is right and make him proud of me! I know this is a short entry Diary, but I need to start packing. We don't have long! So long!_

_With love,_

_Viper'_

Whisper looked up once she was finished. "I know where he is. He went to the tribal grounds, like the one he took me to when I was thirteen," she said.

Duke ran a hand through his hair. "What interest would the Cobra Commander have with old tribal grounds?" he asked.

Whisper shrugged. "I don't know, but I have a feeling that it isn't good. We have to get there ASAP. I may not know what he is up too, but I don't think that it'll be a good thing," she said, shutting her diary and looking over the others.

Ripcord chuckled. "Well, looks like we get to go to Australia then. Good'ay mate!" he said with an accent before stepping out of the room to start packing. The others couldn't help, but to laugh and each went off to their own separate rooms to pack as well.

Whisper stopped Snake Eyes before he left, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Snake? I have a question to ask."

The ninja turned and signed, _Ask away._

Whisper looked down at the floor, pushing her brown hair behind her ears. "I don't know it I can face him again Snake. I don't know if I could pull the trigger if it comes down to it. I don't know if I can be stronger enough to do it." Her voice was shaky, and she didn't even realize that her arms were shaking as well until now.

Snake Eyes placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head up to look at her beautiful silver eyes. _You are the strongest person that I know, Whisper. You always will be. You will know what to do when the time is right, I promise._

Whisper nodded and smiled before throwing her arms around Snake's neck, hugging him. "Thank you, Snake," she whispered into his ear. "You're always there for me." A warm feeling spread through the pit of her stomach when Snake Eyes wrapped his own arms around her waist. Her smile was hidden behind his shoulder and she never wanted to let go. But that was a luxury that she was yet to have. Both pulled away, Whisper blushing slightly. "So, are you bringing Shaba?" she asked him.

_Of course. It will be a good learning experience for him. Are any of the others coming?_

Whisper shook her head. "No. They will stay here to continue their training. I am still going to bring Bonita and Macy with me. Like you said, it will be a good learning experience for them." She smiled happily. "Well, I better get packing. I'll see you around, Snake," she said.

_And you as well,_ the ninja signed before slipping away, the last part of his sentence hidden from all. _My heart._

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><p><strong>Dun dun dun! What awaits the team in Australia? Will Snake reveal his love to Whisper? Find out in the next chapter! And come on peeps! The more reviews that I get, the more I am motivated to write chapters. So, the more reviews, the faster the chapters get up! Don't mean to sound pushy, but I used to get up to five reviews a week and now I'm down to only one or two! Please please please review! Thank you!<strong>


	21. On Watch

Everything was happening so fast. Whisper packed what she could into her camping backpack and packed for her animals as well. Bonita and Macy were coming, of course, as well as her horses. They would be needing transportation and horseback was one of the quickest and quietest ways to move through the outback. Besides, it beat paying for gas.

Once everything was packed, Whisper hurried down to where her horses were kept, which was an open area close to the loading dock. Her black mare, Nighlock, was the first to greet her with a nicker, trotting up to the edge of the handmade wire fencing. Whisper smiled and stroked her muzzle, giving a low whistle to get the other horses over to her. Blizzard and Phoenix trotted over, nickering as well. Marble came over on her own sweet time. Whisper chuckled and started to get them prepped for the flight ahead.

Two hours later, the animals were on board and ready for the flight. Whisper blew a stray piece of hair out of her face with a slight chuckle. She turned when she heard footsteps behind her. She grinned widely. "Hey Snake. Hey Shaba. You guys ready to go?" she asked them.

Snake Eyes nodded. _About as ready as we'll ever be._

Whisper smiled. "Great! We're just waiting for the others. They said that they would be along shortly," she told him.

_That's good. Are you ready?_

_"_As I'll ever be," Whisper said. "The horses are all loaded up, Bonita and Macy are loaded up..."

_That's not what I meant, _Snake signed, interrupting.

Whisper played with a stand of her hair, bitting slightly on her lower lip. "I don't know," she said truthfully. "I guess that I'll have to do what I must to help my team and to keep them safe."

Snake touched her shoulder. _You will make the right choice._

Whisper smiled softly. "Thanks Snake," she said. "I don't know what I would do without you." She smiled once more before she hurried off towards the plane.

_Nor I you, _Snake signed privately before walking after her, the almost fully grown lion walking alongside him.

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><p>The plane took off without difficulty and after almost ten hours on the plane, it landed in the middle of the Outback. Whisper stretched, not enjoying being in cramped places for very long. She had spent most of her time meditating like Snake Eyes had shown her to. Thankfully, though, the flight was over and Whisper went to the cargo area and helped a few of the other Joes unload the horses, especially Nightlock, who was still young and unpredictable at times.<p>

Once that was over with, Whisper tacked up the horses and mounted Nightlock. Ripcord and Scarlett doubled up on Blizzard, since he was the largest of the four horses, Duke took Marble, and Snake Eyes took Phoenix. Whisper smiled and gave a low whistle to Bonita and Macy. Both animals stood next to Nightlock.

"Scout ahead, but stay quiet and stay low. I'll call when you need to return" she told them before watching them lumber off. She knew that they knew what she had said. She had trained them after all.

Shaba would be staying with them, since he was probably the only once that would be able to keep up with the horses easily. Since they didn't know what to expect, they wouldn't be staying at a hotel or anything. Instead, they would be staying out in the open, hidden by the thick underbrush. As soon as they found what they were looking for, they would signal to General Hawk back at the Pit and the rest would be played out by ear.

Whisper made sure that everyone was settled before nudging Nightlock forward into a slow canter through the thick, long grass of Australia.

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><p>The Alpha Team rode for about four hours before the sun started to set. Knowing of the dangers of the Outback as she did, Whisper had everyone dismount and set up camp. She gave a strange whistle, like a gurgle. It was the call of a red-necked stint. If she was going to whistle, she was at least going to make it confusing to anyone listening in.<p>

After a few moments, Bonita and Macy appeared by the campsite. Whisper smiled and gave them both food and water before going back to the other and helping them set up tents, get a small fire going, and settling down to eat a small dinner of dried meat and fruit. So far, everything was going well and Whisper hoped that it stayed that way. She offered to take first watch, wanting to have some time alone with her thoughts. Everyone, except Snake Eyes, was more than happy to comply, tired and sore after a day in the saddle. Whisper gave them a sympathetic smile before taking one of the canteens they had and sitting on a flat rock that was mostly hidden in the ground, settling down for her watch.

As Whisper had predicted, the sun had set quickly and had gotten cold just as fast. She pulled on the jacket that she had brought, breathing in the scent of cotton and laundry detergent. She smiled, her mind going back to a time with her father...

_A thirteen, almost fourteen, year old Whisper lay on her stomach, watching the black, lowland copperhead slithering in front of her. "Are you sure, Dad?" she asked quietly, turning to face her father, who was laying next to her. He nodded. _

_"Positive," he assured her._

_"Alright," she said, though still a little unsure. She slid her feet up under her, balancing on the balls of her feet. Once the copperhead had passed them slightly, she lunged, moving as fast as she could. The copperhead hissed in surprise, raising up, ready to strike, but young Whisper was faster. She turned and grabbed the poisonous snake behind the neck and picked it up. She smiled triumphantly. _

_"I did it!" she said, twisting the lower half of the snake around her other hand to keep it from wriggling around. _

_Her father smiled back at her. "Very nicely done, Viper. You are truly one with the snakes now," he said proudly. _

_She smiled again and released the snake, tossing it back into the bushes before it could bite her. She hugged her father. "Did I make you proud, Dad?" she asked_

_Her father nodded, a small smile on his lips. "That you have, Viper, that you have..."_

Whisper brushed a tear from her eye, not realizing that she had been crying until now. She gave a soft sigh and went back to her watch. Little did she know, that she wasn't the only one on watch. She was also the one being watched.

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><p><strong>I know, I know. You guys probably hate me for leaving this as a cliffhanger, but now at least I know that you guys will come back for more! Hehe! Anyway, I would also like to give tribute to the people who died on this day, on 911. I pray that they rest in peace and that no one will ever forget their deaths or what happened the day of 9/11. Amen. **


	22. Time for Battle

**Ok, this chapter is going to be a bit odd. What is in italics is the bad guy's POV, and what is in normal font is the Joes POV. Hope that makes things understandable. And enjoy a battle scene! Please review!**

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><p><strong>Cobra Command Base<strong>

_"And you are sure that it was her?" the man asked, his voice raspy._

_The other man in front of him nodded. He was dressed in dark grey, a hood flipped back over his shoulders. "Positive, Commander. She has your eyes," he said, standing at attention in front of the Cobra Commander._

_Cobra nodded slowly, standing up and starting to pace slightly. "I was not expecting my daughter to rejoin the Joes. Not after what happened. But she will soon learn where her true place lies. I want you to go back and kill the Joes, but bring my daughter to me. Take as many men as you see fit."_

_The man saluted before turning around and walking off. Cobra sat back down, running a hand over his mostly bald skull. "It is time for the Viper to return home," he said with a maniacal chuckle._

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><p><strong>Back at the Joes Camp<strong>

Whisper looked up as Snake Eyes sat down beside her. She smiled happily. "Hey Snake. Can't sleep?" she asked.

The ninja gave a small shrug. Whisper smiled again and turned her attention back onto the plains of the Outback. "I remember how much I loved this place. So peaceful and beautiful," she said softly, her eyes full of the stars that shone overhead.

Snake Eyes nodded in agreement, but he wasn't watching the sky. Whisper opened her mouth to say something else, but froze. Macy, who had been laying down in front of her, was now standing up slowly, hackles raising and lips pulled back into a quiet growl. Whisper looked over at Snake, eyes wide. "Something's wrong," she whispered.

Snake Eyes immediately unsheathed his twin swords while Whisper went back to wake the others. He stood ready and poised, ready to defend those he counted as family and the one he loved.

Whisper moved in complete silence. She quietly woke up the others.

"Wha-?" Ripcord started to ask, but Whisper slammed a hand over his mouth, growling softly in warning. Thankfully, he caught on at once, sealing his mouth and getting up.

Whisper nodded in satisfaction before she shook awake Duke and Scarlett. Then, she tightened the straps to her bulletproof vest and shouldered her gun. After that, she went over to the horses and mounted Nightlock, almost completely invisible against the night sky. She moved the mare around to the side, eyes open for any movement. There! The grass swayed and moved as someone or something moved their way through. Whisper closed both of her eyes, her hearing sharpening. The faint sound of grass being crushed underfoot. Someone was defiantly there. She opened her eyes, her breathing quickening as adrenaline flowed into her system. She was ready to fight.

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><p><em>The man stalked forward as silently as he could. The Joes didn't seem to notice that they were surrounded. He paused when he heard horse hooves against the ground, but then ignored it. He had seen the horses earlier and had figured that they were just normal horses. He started forward again, motioning the others to move forward as well. He stayed crouched and aimed his gun at the perched figure, knowing that this had been Viper, Cobra's daughter, on watch. He cocked the gun with the tranquilizer dart and shot it at Viper. He blinked and the form moved before falling to the ground. He smiled cockily and signaled to the others. 'Shoot 'em down.' And gunshots filled the air.<em>

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><p>Whisper hadn't been hit by the dart. Snake Eyes had taken her spot while she had gotten into position on Nightlock, and when the man had blinked, he had dodged the dart, only pretending to be on the ground. Now, she was ready. She nudged Nightlock forward and gave a shout just before the gunshots filled the air.<p>

Time slowed. Adrenaline filled Whisper's system, sharpening her senses. She stayed perfectly balanced on Nightlock's back, pulling out her own sniper rifle. Silenced shots whizzed through the air, punching into each man's chest. There seemed to be dozens on them that surrounded the five Joes. She caught glimpses of the others: Duke crouched low as he shot, Snake Eyes a blur as he sliced the man and killing them painlessly, Scarlett and Ripcord back-to-back as they kept each other safe.

Whisper smiled slightly before she felt something wrap around her ankle and yank her off of Nightlock. The mare gave a scream, rearing up and whining loudly. Whisper struggled to get up, but someone was kneeling over her, pinning her to the ground.

A rank breath filled her nose. "Your father wishes to have a meeting with you, Viper," he said in a rough voice.

Whisper's eyes widened, her good eye full of fright. The man just gave a chuckle, sending more his foul breath her way.

"Don't try struggling. Or you may just be fully blind," he said, withdrawing a knife. He placed a hand around Whisper's throat, choking her as he rested the knife's point just above her right eye.

Whisper struggled frantically, thrashing as hard as she could to get away, but she was starting to get tunnel vision, oxygen being cut off from her brain. She felt the knife dig into the skin above her eye and glared at the man's face before shifting her gaze upward, over his shoulder. She suddenly went limp.

"Giving up that easily, bi-" The man's words were cut off, the tip of a sword sticking out from the middle of his chest. He hissed as Whisper, making to slice out her eye before he died, but he missed, catching her arm instead. Whisper screamed out as the blade cut through her arm, severing muscle and nicking bone.

Snake Eyes pulled his sword out of the man as he died, kicking him off to the side. He hurried over to Whisper, watching as she rolled her eyes in pain and horror and fear. He was paralyzed by that look, like she had a feeling that she would die. But he knew Whisper. She wouldn't give up without a fight. Never had and probably never would.

The sound of gunfire had faded and the others picked off the stranglers. Snake Eyes lifted Whisper, her blood soaking his shirt. The animals smelt the blood first, Macy whining and growling, knowing that her mistress had been hurt. Blood matted her fur as well as Bonita's. The horses were freaked out, eyes rolling, but none were injured.

"Oh my God!" three voices said at once. Ripcord, Duke, and Scarlett raced over, seeing Whisper's limp form in Snake Eyes's arms.

Ripcord went to pull the knife out, but Snake Eyes shook his head, setting Whisper back down on the ground. Taking out the knife would only led to Whisper bleeding even more. "What do we do then?" Ripcord demanded.

Scarlett came over, a first aid kit in hand. She bandaged the wound the best she could. "We need medical help," Scarlett said in frustration, tying off the bandage.

Whisper grabbed Scarlett's hand weakly, looking up into her eyes. "Find the village. Ask for Jungle Cat. Show him tattoo. He'll understand," she said softly before she couldn't hang on any longer and passed out.

Scarlett looked at the others. "Well? We have to do what she said!" she said, almost shouting.

Ripcord lay a hand on her shoulder. "We will, Scarlett, but we don't even know where to look," he said.

"I can help with that," a mechanical voice called out from behind the Joes.

Everyone whipped around, hands reaching for their weapons. It was still dark out, but the whiteness shone like a beacon.

"Who's there?" Duke asked, standing up, gun in hand.

"Just me," came the voice again. The blob of whiteness started to move towards them and a white wolf sat down. It looked like a normal white wolf, if not for the blue eyes and strange purple crescent marking on her forehead. A device settled around her throat, which would explain how it could talk.

"What are you?" Duke demanded.

"A wolf," it said. "That part should have been obvious, but I know that you mean. Experiment 201 is what they called me."

"Experiment?" Duke questioned.

The wolf nodded. "Experiment. Which explains my weird markings, I know. I'll explain more later, but your friend needs help as soon as possible," it said.

"And why would we trust you?" Ripcord asked, his voice a growl.

The wolf shrugged. "Trust me or don't trust me, that's your choice. But like I said, your friends hurt and if you don't get help soon, she could die. I know where the village is that you are looking for and I know the man that goes by the name of Jungle Cat. So, are you coming or what?" it asked.

Duke looked over at the others and it was Snake Eyes who stood up, Whisper in his arms once more. He just gave a single nod. Anything to help Whisper. The others nodded as well, knowing better than to argue with the ninja, especially at such a desperate time. Duke nodded towards the wolf. "Take us then," he said.

The wolf gave a single nod before running off into the undergrowth. Duke looked over at the animals. Macy, Bonita, and Shaba would follow them, no question about it. He made a quick decision about what to do with the horses. "Ripcord, Scarlett, get onto the horses. Snake Eyes, you get on another. Double up with Whisper. We'll follow you," he said. Ripcord and Scarlett gave a quick nod before they mounted up while Snake Eyes got help from Duke. He mounted the largest horse and Duke handed Whisper up to him. He made sure that she was balanced in front of him before nudging the horse's sides and he went into a gallop. Duke mounted Nightlock and she raced after the others.

All they would hope for now was that they got help in time to save Whisper.

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><p><strong>Oh no! What will happen to Whisper? Read the next chapter to find out! Give thanks to Tiryn for the wolf idea. I did need someone to lead them towards the village and for something else as you will also figure out in the next chapter. Hope it wasn't that confusing for you and if you have any questions, comments, advice, sent them to me in a REVIEW! Pretty please with sugar on top. :) Thanks! Until the next chapter, ML out!<strong>


	23. Healing

The next hour was a blur of horse legs and racing against the clock. Whisper's blood continued to flow, the rough bandage that Scarlett had thrown around already soaked through with the red substance. Snake Eyes pushed Blizzard as fast as he could, following after the wolf, Shaba keeping pace alongside him.

It was within that hour that the wolf finally slowed. She turned to look at the others, who were still galloping after her, before slipping into the village. From the distance, it just looked like any other old flat plain. But the closer you got, the more you could see the large crater that angled downwards into the earth. Hidden in plan sight.

Snake Eyes urged the horse faster, reaching the edge of the crater and going downwards. As soon as the horse's hooves landed on the ground, spears surrounded him from all sides, the village men glaring at them with hostility. Shaba gave a growl, moving forward to protect his master, but stopped when Snake gave him a signal. The lion gave another growl before backing up alongside the white horse. The rest of the Joes soon joined him and were greeted by the spears as well.

Duke dismounted Nightlock, raising his hands to show that he meant no harm. "We need help!" he called. "We're looking for a man named Jungle Cat!"

There was a ripple among the village men and one stepped out from the crowd. He was tall and had olive colored skin with dark eyes and hair. His arms and legs were strong and lean with muscle from a lifetime of hunting and protecting his village. He would have been handsome, being in his prime, if not for the large, thick scars that covered his chest and the lower part of his neck.

"I am Jungle Cat," he said in a deep, low voice. "What are you doing in my village?"

"We need help. Our friend is badly hurt. She said that you knew her," Duke said hurriedly, motioning towards the limp form of Whisper.

Jungle Cat looked towards the young woman. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place her face to anyone in his memory. He started to shake his head, to say that he didn't know her, but Scarlett came up alongside Duke, Ripcord standing behind her.

"She told us to show you a tattoo," she explained, just as hurriedly as Duke.

That certainly caught Jungle Cat's attention. "A tattoo you say?" he asked, walking over towards the white gelding that held Whisper and Snake Eyes.

Blizzard pinned his ears back and a low rumble of warning, but settled when Snake Eyes ran a hand down his neck. Jungle Cat ignored the gelding and pulled down the top of Whisper's shirt, pushing her hair up. There was a faint mark there, mostly covered by Whisper's hair and no bigger than a penny. It was the outline of a paw print. Jungle Cat gave a nod, smiling slightly.

"So, she has returned to us," he said quietly before giving a sharp whistle. "Get the medic!" he ordered, slipping Whisper down from the horse's back and carrying her into one of the grass and mud huts that dotted the village.

The Joes shared uneasy glances before starting to go after their fellow teammate, but they were stopped short by more spears being pointed at them. Snake Eyes gripped one of his sword handles, ready to fight if need be to get to Whisper.

There was a sharp bark and the white wolf returned, blue eyes glowing brighter than ever. "Let there be no violence here. The villagers are helping your friend. Allow them to heal your friend. Until then, follow me," she said in her mechanical voice before trotting towards the center of the village.

Duke gave a nod and started to follow after the wolf, the rest of the Joes following behind him. That is, except for Snake Eyes. He didn't want to leave Whisper's side. It made him feel uneasy. He looked over his shoulder when Scarlett rested her hand on it.

"She'll be fine Snake. These people won't hurt her," she said gently. "You don't want Whisper waking up to find that you are a wreck now, do you?"

Reluctantly, the ninja shook his head and allowed Scarlett to lead him after the others.

* * *

><p>Pain shot up Whisper's arm and shoulder. She gave a grunt of pain, her good arm going over her and grasping her arm. She was shocked to feel a bandage, neatly wrapped and tied off around her stab wound. She sat up and smiled brightly, now ignoring the pain in her arm, when she saw the familiar form sitting near the back of the hut.<p>

"It's been a long time, Jungle Cat," she said, dropping her hand from her injured arm.

The hunter chuckled deeply, standing up and walking over. "It has been, old friend. I was beginning to think that you were never going to return."

Whisper gave a small shrug. "I know, but I had some...issues that prevented me from returning," she said softly, looking away for a few moments before looking back up at Jungle Cat. "But enough about me. How have things in the village been?"

Jungle Cat chuckled again. "It has been well. No more jungle cats have been around," he joked. Even Whisper had to laugh at that.

"That's good. So that must mean that you haven't done anything stupid again and thrown yourself in front of a charging cat's path," Whisper teased, swinging her legs over the side of the simple bed and standing up. She wasn't at all surprised when her head didn't spin or that she wasn't dizzy or anything. Medicine here was all natural and she reacted to it better than normal medicine. She didn't know why. She just did.

Jungle Cat watched her. "Your friends are in the mess hut. It took a while to get the ninja to trust us and get him away from you. I may not be able to see his eyes, but I can tell that he loves you. More than you could ever know," he said gently, smiling slightly.

Whisper felt her face heating and she looked away, blushing. "I know," she said. "And I love him just as much."

"Thought you would," Jungle Cat said, laughter in his voice. "Now come on. Let's get you back to your friends before they worry themselves to death."


	24. A Plan

Whisper slipped into the mess hut, a smile touching her lips when she moved silently over towards her teammates. Snake Eyes picked up on her presence first, turning around and jumping up from his place on a reed mat. One second he was on the ground, the next he had his arms wrapped around Whisper in a bear hug.

Whisper wrapped her arms around Snake's neck, settling her head into the crook of his shoulder. "Hey Snake," she said softly, so that only he could hear her.

Snake tightened his arms slightly around her waist, breathing in her sweet scent. He smiled lightly under his mask before releasing Whisper, though kept one arm wrapped around her waist.

Whisper made no move to remove Snake's arm, walking towards the others. "Hey guys. Miss me?" she joked.

The weight of stress and worry came off the rest of the team in waves. Duke and the others stood up to see Whisper, giving her quick hugs to show that they were happy that she was ok. Once that was done, they took their seats and Whisper sat down with them, picking up a bowl of wild rice.

Everything seemed to be back to normal, the Joes talking and laughing as though nothing had happened.

But of course, something had happened and Whisper wanted to get down to the bottom of it before someone else tried to come and hurt her team. "My father sent those people," she said softly. The others didn't say anything. They didn't have too.

Whisper took a deep breath before continuing. "He is after me, I know that he is. So we have to do what he won't expect us to. We are going to surrender to him."

The silence lasted for about five seconds before all of them, with the exception of Snake Eyes, were talking at once. Duke's voice raised above the others.

"Have you lost your mind? Surrendering to the Cobra Commander is suicide!" he exclaimed.

Whisper stayed quiet, waiting until they quieted, before speaking once more. "Just hear me out, ok? My father wants me for some reason. What those reasons are, I don't know. Why he wants me, I don't know. He just does. Which is why we are going to go back to the campsite and take the men's uniforms. You guys will dress up as the soldiers and take me to my father," she said calmly.

"But we don't even know where your father is!" Ripcord brought up.

"I know where he is."

Heads turned once more and watched as the white wolf came forward. The violet crescent seemed brighter here than it had last night.

"I escaped from him and I can take you there," the she-wolf said through her translator. "I may not wish to go back, but having that man in chains would be a dream come true. Besides, I left friends back there. The rest of my pack for one."

Whisper gave a slow nod. "It would work. Are you sure that you wish to accompany us?" she asked. "If we fail, you will fall with us."

The she-wolf's blue eyes glowed. "At least you are attempting. No one else I have spoken to has been brave enough to go up against the Commander so far. It looks like I have gotten the jackpot in your team coming here. My revenge will be sweet," she said.

Whisper chuckled. "We thank you for your courage and bravery," she said before looking back at the others. "So, what do you think? Are you in or out?" She placed a fist towards the others.

Glances were shared before they turned from uneasy to determined and they placed their fists next to hers. Whisper looked each and every one of them in the eye.

"Let's do this then."

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><p><strong>I do apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I needed something to catch your guy's attention! Hopefully you will stayed tune for the next chapter, which I promise you will be much longer than this one. ;) And I also apologize for the long wait. School has been ruling my life these days. *grr!* <strong>

**And aside from that bit of news, here's more. I need some characters to join the Joes in their raid. The characters will be from the tribe that they are staying with or characters who will help them along the way. Please give me a name, age, gender, a little bit on personality, looks, history, etc. Credit will be given to those who send me characters in with their reviews! Please and thank you! ML out!**


	25. Part 1 of 3: Gathering Supplies

**Thank you very much for those of you who did send in forms! I need at least three more people or so, I only have two. Please please please send in forms and review! Thank you!**

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><p>For the rest of the evening, plans were made. It was only until about late in the evening that they all dispersed to take care of what needed to be done for the night. The attack wouldn't be taking place until the day after tomorrow. Today was planning day, tomorrow was preparation day, and the day after that was the day that would change all of their lives.<p>

Whisper stood by the edge of the village, grooming her horses. Macy lay down in the grass next to her mistress, dozing in the sunlight alongside Bonita. Whisper turned at a noise behind her. She smiled. "Hey Snake. How's it going?" she asked him.

_"You should not be putting yourself at risk like this," _he signed to her. "_I do not like it."_

Whisper gave him another smile, smaller than the first, and went over to him. "I know. But it must be done. This way, no one else gets hurt."

_"I will be hurt,"_ Snake argued. "_Life without you is not worth living."_

She held him close, feeling his arms as they wrapped around her waist. "And the same for me Snake. You and the rest of the Joes, they are my family now. Not that pitiful creature that calls himself Cobra Commander. He killed my other family. He isn't going to get this one. Not as long as I shall live, will he hurt my new family."

Snake Eyes rested his chin on the top of Whisper's head. He didn't sign anything, didn't make a sound or move. And neither did Whisper. Both just stood in the fading sunlight, comforting each other before the events that tomorrow would bring.

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><p>The next morning was chilly, as it usually was in the morning in Australia. Whisper slipped out of bed and got dressed, braiding her long brown hair to keep it out of the way. She turned and smiled as Snake woke up and slipped out of the bed. He came over to her and kissed her deeply before starting to get dressed himself.<p>

Last night had been amazing. As the sun had gone down, Whisper had asked Snake Eyes to stay with her that night. He had done as she requested without a second's hesitation. She was surprised when he had taken off his mask and visor, revealing his scarred face and chilling blue eyes. And she thought her silver eyes were bad. Things had kind of just taken off from there.

Heat rushed to Whisper's cheeks when she thought about last night, hurriedly finishing up her braid and making sure that all her weapons and things were in place. She finished before Snake, but waited patiently for him to join her. A few minutes later, he did and the duo left Whisper's hut to join the others in the mess hall.

No one seemed surprised when Whisper and Snake arrived together, nor did any of the guys ask where Snake had been last night. They were smart enough to know that if they wished to keep their good health, they wouldn't make any hints on what they knew had happened last night.

Whisper smiled brightly at the others. "Good morning," she said, sitting down to join them. She gladly accepted the bowl of warmed wheat and sugar she had been given, eating hungrily. While she did eat, they went over the plan for the day once more.

The plan was to send the white she-wolf, they would have to get a name for her soon, and Macy on ahead to scout the area and the old campsite. Then, the others would take the horses into the camp and get the clothing from the dead soldiers that had attacked them previously a few nights ago. After that, they would return to the camp and prepare and plan for the battle that would accure tomorrow.

Whisper finished her breakfast quickly, ready to go and ready to do something after days of inaction due to her injury. She touched her arm absently, feeling the smooth silky bandage that was wrapped around her bicep. Snake looked over at her. Even with his mask on, Whisper was able to guess what his expression looked like; eyebrow cocked and a slight frown on his lips, asking if she was ok.

Whisper gave a nod. "I'm fine," she said quietly so that the others couldn't hear her. Macy looked up, good ear flicked towards her mistress. She looked almost comical with her one floppy ear down and her other one sticking straight up. Whisper couldn't help, but to give a slight chuckle and stroke the German Shepherd. "I'm fine," she repeated, looking the shepherd in the eye. Macy gave a small whimper and licked Whisper's cheek. Whisper smiled and touched her nose to her dog's. "I love you, too, sweetie. Stay safe while you're out, alright?" As if she knew what she was saying, and Whisper didn't doubt that she did, Macy gave a slight incline of her head and licked Whisper's cheek again. Whisper couldn't help, but to hug her around the neck and a tear almost escaped when Macy lay her head on Whisper's back, hugging her back. "I love you," she whispered before reluctantly breaking away from her.

Snake watched the scene in silent awe. He would never have expected to Macy to act the way that she did. Actually, he thought, scratch that. Whisper and Macy shared a bond that only a close relation of dog and owner could experience. The shepherd had helped Whisper through hard times and had given her comfort. He knew that Whisper would be heartbroken if anything happened to the happy dog.

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><p>About an hour later, everyone was ready to go. The white she-wolf, who they had nicknamed Ghost for the time being, and Macy had left just over ten minutes ago to scout out the area. Whisper was sitting on Nightlock's back once more, Snake sitting behind her. The others were spread out, but close enough so that they could still see and communicate with each other. Along with that, the team was also loaded with weapons and an ear piece.<p>

Ghost and Macy reappeared from through the long grass. Ghost took a step forward. "The area is clear. But you should hurry. I sense that something is amiss," she said.

Whisper gave a nod. "Thank you," she said politely before relaying the news to the others.

Duke gave a nod and signaled to Scarlett and Ripcord. "Let's move out," he said before nudging his horse into a fast canter, and then into a slow gallop. The others raced after him, on their guard should anything or anyone be laying waiting for them.

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><p>Minutes later, Whisper slowed Nightlock slightly, silver eyes scanning the area for danger. She signaled to Snake, wanting to be as quiet as possible, telling him that she didn't see anything. Then, she motioned to Macy to take the led. She watched as the shepherd's sleek form disappeared into the long grass and she pulled Nightlock to a stop, signaling for the others to do the same. She slipped down from Nightlock and waited until Snake Eyes was behind her before signaling out in ASL what she wanted him to do. His shoulders shook in a silent chuckle.<p>

"_You are a genius, Whisper," _he signed.

Whisper smiled, taking up her position by Nightlock's shoulder while Snake went by her hindquarters. Once he was ready, Whisper tapped Nightlock's shoulder and the mare started to slowly walk forward, her form hiding both Whisper and Snake.

To anyone else, it would only look like a black mare walking through the grass, while in reality, Whisper and Snake were walking step-by-step with her, legs hidden by the grass.

Whisper froze and tensed when the grass ahead of them moved, but relaxed when she saw that it was only Macy. The dog was relaxed and calm, meaning that no danger was ahead.

She smiled at Macy and started to move forward once more. Two minutes later, they arrived at the mostly destroyed camp. While Snake and Duke kept watch, Whisper, Ripcord, and Scarlett moved around throughout the camp. They gathered clothes, food, camping gear, and weapons. Whisper found those who had died and stripped them of their uniforms. She was a bit upset that she was probably disturbing the dead, but it was either being disrespectful or not living. She preferred living.

Once she had the uniforms, Whisper went back over to the others, strapping the uniforms onto Nightlock's back along with a few of the other supplies that they had gathered. The others horses were also loaded down with supplies. Whisper sent Macy and Ghost on ahead before nudging Nightlock into a gallop, the others following after her. They reached the camp quickly, not wanting to linger any longer than they had to.

Part one of their plan was complete. Part two would be put into action by night's end.


	26. Part 2 of 3: Time to Go and New Members

**Disclaimer: I do not own GI Joe. I only own Whisper and the animals and the plot. **

**Author: Ok, quick question: Do you guys just not like this story anymore? Should I just quit and let you guys guess what happens? Because I used to get, like, five or more reviews on each chapter. Now, I'm lucky just to get at least two. So, please please please review guys, or I may have to discontinue this story. :'(**

**But anyway, here's the next part for Caged. Enjoy!**

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><p>Whisper now knew what it felt like to be put on a leash. She was anxious, pacing back and forth through the village. Her breathing was fast, hyperventilating slightly. Twice now, Snake Eyes had put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and had been able to get her to relax...before she would start to pace again within a few seconds. He had given up for now, knowing that nothing would actually work to keep the stubborn woman from wearing the soles off of her boots.<p>

For about the fiftieth time in the past hour, Whisper looked towards the sunset. The day had passed without any disturbances, everyone preparing for what was to come tonight. Whisper didn't know what it was going to be like, to face her father after all these years of silence. She brushed back a piece of her chocolate brown hair from her face, pushing it back into her braid, before running a hand over her stomach, feeling queasy.

But such was to be expected, what with all the adrenaline and nerves that were eating away at her insides. Annoyed by her pacing, Snake Eyes finally stood up and seized her wrists with an iron grip. Whisper's wild silver eyes met his blue ones, hidden behind his visor. The ninja pulled Whisper, growling under her breath, towards their hut. Once there, he sat down, legs crossed, and pulled Whisper down with him. Still growling, she complied.

"What?" she asked grouchily, tucking her legs under her.

Snake Eyes placed a finger on her lips, telling her to be quiet and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Whisper followed his example, closing her eyes and matching her breathing to his.

The couple stayed like this for the rest of the hour, meditating peacefully. Whisper's startled-rabbit-heartbeat slowed and her muscles relaxed as she continued to breath in and out.

Inhale...

Exhale...

Inhale...

Exhale...

Whisper's eyes snapped open at a knocking on the door. She took one last deep breath, calming the rest of her frazzled nerves before standing up and opening the door. Duke stood there, already changed into the Cobra's uniform.

The two words he uttered almost sent her back into her pacing and fast breathing. "It's time."

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><p>Whisper made sure that she had changed back into the clothes she had worn during the night of the attack, including her bloodstained, black t-shirt. She had even changed the neat, clean bandage around her arm into a ragged, sweat stained one. She wanted no proof that she had been to the village or their plan would be ruined.<p>

Whisper stroked Macy's head once more before following Snake Eyes out of the hut. She whispered quickly before they joined the others, "I'm scared Snake. I don't know how this is going to turn out. Promise me that you'll be there? Even if I don't see you, you'll be there?" She looked up at him, silver eyes glowing with adrenaline and fear. But the one thing that kept her going was the glint of strength and courage that was in them. She wasn't one to break easily, but the prospect of seeing her father had tipped her balance.

Snake Eyes pulled Whisper to a gentle stop. Though she couldn't see it, she could feel his gaze boring into her. No words were necessary. Whisper gave a nod, smiling slightly. "Thank you," she whispered quietly before joining up with the others by the edge of the camp.

"Everything ready?" she asked. Whisper's words were greeted with nods and grunts. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm her heartbeat, before opening them again.

"And everyone remember the plan?" Again, her words were met with nods and grunts. Another deep breath followed.

"Let's do this then. And quickly please, before I lose my nerve," Whisper added with a forced chuckle.

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><p>Duke stood behind Whisper, her wrists crossed over each other and handcuffed behind her back. The handcuffs were fake, but they looked real. Instead of metal, they were made of a cheep plastic, a substance that Whisper would be able to break through easily when the time came. Duke held her right forearm and Ripcord held onto her left. Both men were armed with high-powered guns and had even more weapons hidden under their false uniforms, from knifes to spearheads. Scarlett stood behind, a gun held in her arms. Like the guys, she also had hidden weapons inside her uniform, all within easy reach. Snake Eyes was hidden somewhere, but every now and again, Whisper would hear his clothing brush against the tall grass or the grass crunch under his feet. She would smile slightly to herself every time she did hear him. It gave her comfort.<p>

The plan went a bit like this:

Duke and Ripcord would say that they had caught Whisper after the shoot out. The rest of the Joes had been slaughtered, but Whisper had been injured and managed to escape on one of the horses. Her horse, also wounded, collapsed and died before Whisper slipped into the jungle to hide herself. The "guards" had followed her trail of blood into the jungle and had finally been able to corner her after hours of tracking and searching. They had been secured her and would bring her back to the Commander as requested. After that, things were still a bit unclear, but at least they had the layout of things. Still, even with such a plan, things were bound to go wrong. All they could do was hope and pray that nothing did and if they did happen, no one would get hurt in the process. Except for maybe the Commander. That would make their job so much easier.

Ghost stood in front, her white fur covered in a black dye. The white would be a big give away where they were going and no one wanted to risk someone seeing white flashing through the grass or jungle. The villagers had easily been able to dye the she-wolf's fur black.

Everyone was now ready to go. The Joes started to go, but two voices stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait!" Two of the female villagers came racing towards them, eyes bright and alert.

The first woman had a bow and a quiver arrows slung across her back. Long black hair, that would have touched of her shoulder blades, was pulled up into a tight bun. Her skin was a silky chocolate brown, smooth and flawless. Her eyes were anything but, deep maroon with a fiery fierceness in them. Whisper estimated her to be in her early twenties.

The other woman was older, closer to her late twenties. Like the first woman, her hair was long and black, pulled up into a bun. But unlike the other woman, this one had bright blue eyes and her skin wasn't as dark as the other woman's. Instead, her's was more of a pale brown almost. Whisper knew without a doubt that the woman with blue eyes was a traveler, with her muscular legs and calloused hands. At least, what she could see of her hands. Each finger had a neat bandage around it. Silver earrings adorned her ears.

The younger woman spoke first, her voice soft and quiet. "My name's Lieka and this is Sedna."

Whisper couldn't help, but smile. Pieces fell together. "Like the Inuit goddess of the sea," she mused. "The one who had her fingers cut off to become the creatures of the sea."

Sedna gave a curt nod, her eyes flickering slightly. "Correct," she said, voice cool. Whisper noted how she was constantly flexing and unflexing her hand into a fist. Seeing the muscle in Sedna's arm, Whisper was in no hurry as to get into this woman's line of fire. She could see that Sedna's fist would and could pack a powerful punch.

"So, what can we help you with?" Duke asked, a bit suspicious. He was ready to go, as were the others. The faster they got this done, the better.

Both woman gave a nod. "We want to come with you," they replied in sync.

Whisper raised an eyebrow, turning so that she could face the two village woman. With her hands behind her back, she almost looked like a drill sergeant. "Why do you want to come with us?" she asked.

"Because I like a good fight," Sedna answered first. "And the Commander has been a jerk that needs to be taught a lesson. I don't like jerks," she added with a smile. It was a smile that never reached her chilling eyes.

Lieka gave a nod. "What she said. Plus, if we don't defeat the Commander, then he'll come for the village next. We can't allow that to happen," she said in her quiet voice. "And I'm also a tracker. Once it gets dark, you won't be able to see Ghost and you can't track like I can. No offense."

Whisper gave a slight chuckle. "None taken." She looked over at Duke. "They have a point. And the more people we have the better. Jungle Cat would have come himself, but he has to man the village," she said, hoping to convince him.

Duke was silent for a few moments, mulling things over through his head. Another moment passed before he let out a loud sigh. "Fine," he grumbled. "But don't slow us down."

Lieka chuckled slightly. "We won't. You guys just have to keep up." She winked before she looked over at Ghost. The young woman barked sharply to the wolf, deepening her voice so that it sounded more like a low growl than a bark. Ghost pricked her ears and barked/growled back to Lieka before taking off through the undergrowth.

Whisper looked over at Lieka. "Do I even have to ask?" she questioned.

"I can speak to and understand the wildlife," Lieka explained. "A gift much like your's, but I don't read their body language. I do something else, but it's kind of hard to really put into words."

Whisper nodded slightly. "Well. Alright then." She turned and allowed the two male Joes to grasp her forearms once more. She turned her head so that she would look at Sedna with her good eye. "Anything else I should know about either of you before we proceed?" she asked.

Sedna hesitated for a few seconds before she slowly began to shake her head. "Don't think so," she said.

"Same here," Lieka added.

Whisper nodded again. "Let's get going then. Time for a family reunion with my dear old Daddy," she said, though her voice broke slightly and she turned her head before anyone could see the fear that flashed through her silver eyes before they started off after Ghost's black form through the tall grass.

Part two was complete. Now all that was left was part three. Whisper just hoped that they would all make it out alive.

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><p><strong>I would like to thank FlamingIceWolfGirl for creating the character Lieka and HextheDaydreamer for creating the character Sedna! Thanks so much you guys!<strong>

**And I would also like to add that HextheDaydreamer also has a GI Joe fanfic called _Scars of Our Past, Sins of Our Future. _It is extremely good and I would recommend that you read it! Please and thank you! Don't forget to review! ML out!**


	27. Part 3 of 3: The Battle

**Sorry about the wait you guys!. My computer was acting all funny and didn't want to show me FanFiction. Weird, I know, but it's better now and here is Part 3! Enjoy this very long chapter. Please R and R!**

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><p>Whisper intertwined her fingers together from behind her back. Thoughts rushed through her mind at a mile a minute. She wished that Snake Eyes was there beside her, but doing so would endanger himself and the other Joes. Instead, she made due with twisting her fingers together, over and over again. It was better than pulling at her hair, which was something that she had done when she was young, but had long outgrown...sort of.<p>

Duke would feel and sense the tension coming off of Whisper. Her muscles were wound up so tight, he was surprised that she wasn't wincing in pain and rubbing knots out of them. Then again, this was Whisper he was thinking about. He looked over at Lieka, just struggling to make out her form in the shadows of the jungle. "Can you still tell where Ghost is?" he asked her.

Lieka nodded. "Of course. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." She paused. "Well, maybe it does, for someone of my level at least," she corrected, giving a chuckle. "I can see where the grass has been crushed by her paws and where the brush has been disturbed by her movements."

Duke gave a slow nod of understanding. "But how do you know that we're not following something similar to a wolf, like a badger or a fox?" he asked.

"An animal's paws are almost like a fingerprint or a snowflake. No two are exactly alike. Ghost's paws are a tad splayed and she has a habit of picking up her front feet sharply and it shows in the tracks. The front paws dig in a bit deeper than the back ones and the tips scratch downwards into her pad print," Lieka explained. "It gets easier to see when you've been a tracker as long as I have."

Duke gave another nod. "Cool," he said before continuing to walk.

Whisper listened to Lieka's and Duke's small chat, too nervous to speak up herself. There was no doubt about it that they were close. The feeling in her gut was tightening, and was now almost painfully so. She knew that this meant that they were getting closer to her father.

Minutes passed, the knot only getting tighter and tighter in Whisper's stomach. They had to be close, she thought for the hundredth time. They just had to be.

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><p>What seemed like a year to Whisper passed by in only about an hour. Lieka signaled for the others to halt while she knelt down and studied the ground in front of her. She stood back up and turned, nodding to Duke. They had arrived.<p>

Ghost reappeared, standing next to Lieka, her fur still black as night thanks to the dye the villagers had put on it.

Duke looked over at Whisper. "You ready for this?" he asked her quietly.

Whisper nodded nervously. "As I'll ever be," she replied, though she knew that her voice shook when she spoke.

Scarlett gave Whisper a sympathetic glance. "We'll all get through this. Together," the redheaded soldier said. "We've beaten Cobra once and we can do it again."

Whisper nodded again, a bit more confident than the first. Scarlett's words may have been few, but they did help. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for a few heartbeats before breathing out and reopening her eyes. "I'm ready," she said, her voice calmer than she felt. She was ready to face the tyrant that had taken everything from her.

Duke gave a quick nod of his head to Ripcord, who gently, yet firmly, took hold of Whisper's uninjured upper arm. Duke took the lead with Scarlett just behind them. The two tribal women and Ghost stayed behind, ready to act as backup if need be.

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><p>The Joes pushed through the last few natural bush barriers and gazed openmouthed at the large building complex that stood in front of them. It wasn't tall, it didn't have to be. The main building was about the size of two football fields surrounded by smaller buildings, which had to be storage houses. Guards walked about and the entire area was surrounded with a barbed wire fence, and Whisper could hear the faint drone that the fence gave off, signaling that it was also electric.<p>

'Great, just perfect,' Whisper thought sourly. 'Not only do we have to worry about getting in and out of here alive, but now we have to worry about the damn electric fence?'

She growled under her breath before allowing Ripcord to half drag, half push her towards the front gates. Whisper took one last deep breath before flashing a grin at the rest of her team.

"Well, here goes nothing," she said quietly before raising her voice. "Let go of me, you son-of-a-bitch!"

Guards in the inside of the complex looked over at the commotion. What they saw was three weary looking guards dragging a filthy looking women towards the area. All the while, Whisper shouted curses and swore at them, even lashing out with her legs to kick Ripcord and Duke in the shins. Both men gave grunts of pain, but seemed oblivious to it other than that. They knew that they were going to have to act just right to get the other guards, and the Cobra Commander, to fall for their act.

Duke walked up to the fence, tired and grouchy looking. "Open the gates!" he called up to the man on watch. "We have the girl for the Commander!"

The watchman looked over at Duke from the other side of the fence. "Identification, please," he said in a bored tone.

Duke allowed his eyes to flash with displeasure. "Harold James, William King, and Sasha Church," he said. "Now let us through!"

Again, the watchman just gave them a bored look before looking down at the controls. "Fine," he said in the same bored tone as before. He pressed a button on the stand, and there was a loud buzzing noise before the gate slide open.

Ripcord roughly shoved Whisper through and into the area. She stumbled before regaining her footing. She growled at Ripcord and her eyes flashed angrily. She lashed out at him with her legs before Duke came up on her other side and slammed the butt of his gun against her lower jaw. Her head snapped to the side and she whipped around, glaring at him with pure hatred and rage.

"I've had enough of you," he told her angrily. Whisper growled at him as well before she spat at him, earning herself another hit from the gun, this time to her shoulder blade. She cried out slightly in pain and sagged slightly before Ripcord pulled her back to her feet, thrusting her forward.

The other guards in the area sneered at Whisper, having recognized her thanks to her trademark silver eyes. She cursed at them as well, which just earned her more sneers and scoffs. Her temper rising, she allowed herself to be pushed towards the large building that dominated the complex. Once they were by the doors, Duke ran his card in front of the sensor. The card had actually belonged to the real Harold James, the one that had died the first night trying to get to Whisper.

The door clicked and slid open, revealing a large hallway. The "guards" pushed Whisper inside, heading towards the elevator at the end of the hallway that would take them to the Commander's suite. They stepped inside the elevator and Duke pressed the button labeled "Commander". Luck was with them so far, it seemed.

Whisper's breathing had increased dramatically since entering the complex and she shifted uneasily. She kept up a steady stream of curses at the rest of the Joes, knowing that there was probably a camera inside the elevator. She even kicked out a couple of times, striking Ripcord and Duke. Duke kept up the act as well, slapping Whisper across the face multiple times.

Finally, the elevator pulled to a stop and everyone piled out, Duke in the lead. Whisper secretly growled in Morse code, giving Duke directions. Minutes later, they stood in front of a large metal door. Duke flashed his card at it and the red button flashed green, granting them access. Time to meet the Commander.

* * *

><p>"Come in," a raspy voice said from the front of the room.<p>

Duke nodded to Ripcord and he shoved Whisper in front of him. Whisper started cursing once more.

"Let go of me you pathetic piece of shit! I should ki-" Whisper was cut off when her legs were swiped out from under her and she landed on the floor with a gasp. She glared up at Duke, who had turned back to face the Commander.

"My apologizes, sir. She just wouldn't shut up!" he said hotly.

A rough chuckle answered him. "Not a problem. I understand that she can be quite a bitch at times. She gets that from her mother," the Commander said.

Whisper gave a screech of outrage. "You shouldn't be talking about my mother! Not when you lead a terrorist group, you ba-" Duke hit her across the face.

"Another word from you and I'll cut your tongue out," he threatened.

The Commander turned around, showing his covered face. "Hello daughter. It has been a while," he said.

Whisper hissed angrily. "Your fault, not mine." Her silver eyes blazed with anger.

CC (Cobra Commander) walked closer to his daughter. "You going to bite me, Viper?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Whisper hissed again, raising to her feet. "My...name...is...Whisper," she managed out through clenched teeth, fighting to hold her temper back.

Duke made a move to knock her down again, but stopped when CC waved his hand in dismissal. "You three may leave," he said. "Thank you for bringing me my daughter. Time for a family reunion."

Duke looked over at Scarlett and Ripcord and nodded. The three undercover Joes slipped back out into the hallway.

Duke immediately reached under his jacket and pressed the button that was there. The button that would signal Snake.

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><p>Whisper looked back over at her father once her teammates left, hands still restrained behind her back. She was tempted to break out of them now, but doing so would be a mistake. Instead, she decided to bide her time.<p>

CC walked around his daughter, looking over her. "You've grown my dear. You're what...nineteen now?"

"Twenty-one," Whisper growled. "A shame really. You know nothing about me, Daddy Dearest. Not since you left Jason and me. He's dead you know. Killed because of your blasted nanomites. But of course, why would you care? He was nothing to you. Neither of us were."

Whisper didn't really know what happened next. Something came up on her blind side, smacking into her temple. She cried out in pain and was bowled over. She was about to get up, but a boot collided with her ribs, sending her flying into the wall. Her head slammed against it and bright lights exploded behind her eyes. She lay there, stunned, for a few moments before slowly, painfully, getting back to her feet. Instead, she was knocked back down, again with a hand to the temple on her blindside. She instinctively curled into a ball to protect her head as the Commander beat her with a fury she had seen quite a few times before, but never thought of herself on the receiving end of it.

Finally, her training kicked in. Whisper tightened herself, secretly breaking her bonds. She snapped open her eyes and coiled herself before launching at her attacker, knocking him off his feet. She hit him a few times before leaping back, staggering to her feet. Her vision was fuzzy and she couldn't see as clearly as she would have liked, but then again she could only see from one eye anyway.

CC came at her again, surprisingly quick for one as crippled as he was at the moment. He managed to slice at her jaw with his fingernails, leaving a thin trail of blood down it. Whisper noticed how he was trying to keep to her blind side. He must have found out about it or could see from the scars that marred her face and eye. Without a sound, she launched herself forward. She caught a flash of movement and there was a loud bang before a searing pain in her abdomen caused her to falter, but her momentum carried her forward into her father, knocking them both to the floor. Whisper pressed her hand against her side, shocked that her shirt was already wet with blood.

The Cobra Commander stood up and brushed himself off, like fighting with his daughter and shooting her was completely normal.

"You were always rushing into things," he said. "Maybe one of these times, you'll actually learn from your mistakes. You should have waited until you found out what I had on me. Weapons and the such. Hopefully the nanomites will change that about you and you'll be more patient. Take myself for example. I am always patient. I waited all these years for you to mature, just like your brother. It was a shame that that blasted fiancé of yours took him away before I could have him changed completely." He sighed dramatically. "Oh well, I think that he might be better off dead. He wouldn't have to see his beloved sister acting so stupid." As he talked, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a syringe and clear container filled with a green looking substance. He filled the syringe with the substance and knelt down next to his daughter.

"Don't worry. This will only hurt a lot, but then everything will be so much better," he said in his brightly raspy and brought the needle down to her arm.

* * *

><p>Duke knew that something was wrong when he heard something or someone hit the wall of the room. Immediately, the other Joes and he started to try and get the door open. His card was no longer working. The Commander must have locked them out once they had left. Something was definitely wrong.<p>

While the others worked on the door, he grabbed his communicator. "Snake! The Commander has Whisper and something's gone wrong!" Only static greeted his words and he put it back into his jacket with a curse before going to helping Ripcord and Scarlett with the door. Their plan was falling into ruins as they spoke.

* * *

><p>As soon as Snake Eyes heard Duke's message, he ran. Nothing was going to hurt the one that he loved most.<p>

* * *

><p>Whisper was too weak to lash out. The only thing she could do now was to keep pressure on the wound in her abdomen to prevent herself from bleeding out completely. She could only watch in horror as the needle came down closer to her skin and scream as he started to inject her with the nanomites. Her blood felt like it was on fire and she writhed in agony, only pleading that it would soon stop.<p>

CC continued to push down the plunger until he felt something collide with his hand, causing him to remove it from the syringe, still just over half full. He looked down and was shocked to see the shuriken that was sticking out of it. He growled in pain and removed the throwing star from his hand. He looked over to where it was thrown, only to see a black clad figure stalking angrily towards him.

"Hello Snake Eyes. My, it has been a while hasn't it," he said, taking a handkerchief out from his jacket pocket and wrapping it around his bleeding hand. "I see that you've created quite the bond between my daughter and yourself. Do you wish to join her as a new person?" he asked, motioning to the nanomites.

Snake Eyes's anger was apparent in his ridged body. He leaped forward, roundhouse kicking the Commander in the head. Not expecting the kick, CC fell to the floor, unconscious. Snake Eyes gave a nod of approval and went over to Whisper, who was just clinging onto consciousness. She was still twitching, curled up into a fetal position, as the nanomites surged through her body.

Snake Eyes removed the syringe from her arm and picked her up bridal style, carrying Whisper over to the door and pressing the button on the side of the door. Gunshots and shouts washed over them in a wave. Scarlett, who had still been trying to get the door open, gave a sigh of relief.

"Duke and Ripcord are holding the others off. Someone tripped the alarm. Probably one of the surveillance guys or something, but that's not the point. Lieka, Sedna, and Ghost are down fighting the guards that we passed on the way in. The ones inside the building are being held off by Duke and Ripcord," Scarlett said quickly.

Snake Eyes gave a swift nod and looked down at Whisper in her arms. He touched his forehead to hers in a tender manner before passing her off to Scarlett. '_Watch over her,' _he signed before unsheathing his twin swords and running towards Duke and Ripcord to help them fight off the horde of soldiers at the door.

* * *

><p>Lieka stabbed another guard with her spear, whipping back around to stab one coming up behind Sedna. The older woman gave her a nod of thanks before leaping back into the fray, knocking guards back with a single swing of her fist. Lieka caught a glimpse of a black streak tearing across the grounds, knocking down guards and snarling angrily as she raked her claws across their throats. Lieka gave a grunt before doing her part and continuing to fight.<p>

_"Where are you guys?" _she thought grimly.

* * *

><p>Scarlett rushed from the building, Whisper in her arms. As soon as she stepped outside, she could smell the metallic scent of blood. Helicopter blades could be heard from a distance. She groaned. "Please don't be Cobra backups," she prayed under her breath. Her communicator buzzed and she pressed the button to receive the message.<p>

"Need a hand?" a familiar voice asked.

Scarlett all but weeped for join. "About time you showed up, General," she said.

* * *

><p>General Hawk brought the helicopter down with a practiced ease. As soon as he had landed, GI Joe soldiers flooded from the large copter and the one behind that one. He hurried down and started to shoot.<p>

He soon caught sight of Scarlett with a barely conscious Whisper. "The Commander injected her with nanomites," Scarlett said in a worried tone. "And she's been shot in the abdomen."

Hawk gave a nod. "Charlotte came with us. She's in the chopper. Take Whisper to her. We may have won, but we aren't out of the woods yet," he said as Scarlett hurried away.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the jumping between perspectives, but it gave some personality to the story. ;) If you have any questions just PM me and I will happily reply. Hope that you guys enjoyed it! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks! ML out!<strong>


	28. Experimental

**Please review! Pretty pretty please with sugar-on-top! I am on my knees begging for reviews! Please and thank you!**

* * *

><p>Pain. That's all Whisper felt. The fire flooding through her veins. It felt like acid, killing her from the inside. She wished that she was dead. Then the pain would be gone. The pain in from the gunshot wound barely bothered her anymore, but the nanomites her father had shot into her sure did. Whisper clung to consciousness, too scared to accept the darkness. She didn't want the nanomites to change her. She didn't want to be anyone different than she was now.<p>

Scarlett hurried forward as fast as she could. She could feel Whisper's blood flowing out, getting weaker and weaker as the seconds went by. She thought that the nanomites would have healed her by now, but she then again, she knew nothing of them. She saw Charlotte standing by the entrance of the helicopter, waiting for the wounded. Scarlett ran as fast as she could that last couple of feet.

"Charlotte! I need help for Whisper, now!" she cried as she ran.

Charlotte looked up and her eyes widened upon seeing the blood-soaked young woman. She ran out from the chopper and took Whisper from Scarlett before rushing back in. She set the barely conscious woman on one of the gurneys inside the chopper and started working frantically over her. The bullet wound would be easy to take care of, but the nanomites were a completely different matter. A small idea kindled in the back of her mind, but she quickly dismissed it and thought about helping Whisper before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes's rage was diminishing, but his worry didn't. He wanted to go and see how Whisper was. Had the nanomites harmed her? Was she unconscious? Dead? He didn't want to think about the last question in his mind and fueled the last reserves of his rage to kill the rest of the soldiers in his way. Once they were all dead or incapacitated on the ground, he sheathed his swords and ran off towards the helicopter.<p>

* * *

><p>Duke and Ripcord leaned against the wall, sweat running freely off both of their brows. The Cobra soldiers lay on the floor, dead. Duke looked over at Ripcord.<p>

"Let's go gather up the Cobra Commander and then go see how Whisper's doing," he said to his friend.

Ripcord nodded. "Good plan," he replied before going into the room where Whisper had been held hostage and where Snake Eyes had knocked out the Commander. He stopped dead, mouth ajar.

"What is it, Rip?" Duke asked him, looking into the room. He swore loudly, spinning on his heel and hitting the wall so hard that he left a hole in it. The Commander was gone.

* * *

><p>"Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?" General Hawk almost hollered into his radio.<p>

"As in, he woke up and escaped while we were busy shooting up his soldiers," came Duke's slightly garbled reply.

Hawk swore just as loudly as Duke had, but without punching the wall. He looked over at the Joes soldiers.

"Search the area! The Commander has escaped!" he ordered them.

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes came to a stop in front of the chopper and signed quickly to Scarlett, who had been watching from the entry way.<p>

_How is she?_ he asked.

Scarlett just shook her head. Her eyes were red from crying.

Snake ran inside the chopper, just in time to see Charlotte inject Whisper with something. Like Scarlett, Charlotte's eyes were also red from crying. Not fully understanding what was going on, he immediately went over to Whisper's side. His love had finally slipped into unconsciousness. He gripped her hand in his and felt how hot her skin was. Even in unconsciousness, she was whimpering and twitching from the pain. He looked over at Charlotte.

_What is wrong with her? What happened? What did you do? _he asked in a frenzy of questions.

Charlotte sagged onto one of the benches. "The nanomites were too far along. We came down to the choice of using the experimental drug that was used on her brother, Jason. I'm sorry Snake Eyes. We had no other choice," she managed to say before she broke down crying.

Snake's eyes widened and he sank to his knees, remembering the story that Whisper had told them about the drug:

_"They found nanomites in his system from the explosion, but I think that my father got ahold of him and injected them into him. The medics debated on whether or not to just kill Jason then, put him out of his misery, in as bad of shape as he was. Will and I spent a lot of time together, hoping and praying that my brother would get better. He never did. In fact, he just got worse. Eruption suited him even better than before. He would throw fits and have seizures. One medic finally decided to try a new experimental medicine to...purge Jason's body of the nanomites. He never asked anyone, didn't have orders, just did it. Then, a few hours later, my brother was changed. He didn't recognize who we were, or where he was. He was...angrier, more violent, and unpredictable. He was like that for months, being kept in the infirmary most of the time. Will stayed with him all the time, trying to get him to remember. I couldn't stand being with him. He seemed to hate me, yelling and going into his fits almost every time I came near him. The last time I talked to him was in our private training room, one of the rare times he was calm enough to talk to me. I told him that I was going on a mission, but that I would be back. He wasn't very happy about it, but he kept his temper in check for once. __Everything changed after that. We found out something about the experimental medicine. The medicine destroyed the nanomites, but it also shut down his major organs, very slowly. Jason's heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, everything. All shut down, demolished. He was dead before we could even get to his side."_

Those had been Whisper's exact words. The medicine that had killed her brother was now raging through her own body.

Snake Eyes lost it then. He got to his feet and lunged forward, throwing Charlotte against the wall, holding her there.

_Why? You know that medicine kills! Why give it to her?_

Charlotte shook in Snake Eyes's grip, tears pouring down even faster now. "I changed the formula. It should work now, but it's still experimental. We decided to take the chance or she would have died," she choked out.

"Snake! Drop her! It wasn't her idea! It was mine!" Scarlett came up behind her teacher and friend. "I remembered Whisper talking about the medicine when she was telling us about her brother." Scarlett's voice was frantic and she was crying almost just as hard as Charlotte.

Snake Eyes released Charlotte and dropped to the floor, his shoulders heaving with his own silent sobs. His flow of anger and rage had passed. Arms wrapped around his shoulders to comfort him, but he ignored them. They weren't the same as Whisper's warm hugs. And if she didn't pull through, he would never feel them again.

All they could do now was to wait and hope that their friend and teammate pulled through.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Snake Eyes! :'( Find out what happens to Whisper in the next chapter! Only a few chapters left and this will be the end of Caged. :'(<strong>

**Or is it...**

**DUN DUN DUN! **


	29. Waiting For

**The next chapter of Caged! Enjoy... ;)**

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><p>Snake Eyes flinched as another pained scream came from down the hallway. It had been going on for hours now. The serum that Charlotte had injected Whisper with seemed to be doing the exact same thing that it had done to her brother. She screamed in her sleep, most likely from the nightmares and the pain of the nanomites being destroyed. At least the serum did that instead of just killing her. Whisper's vitals were being monitored 247 to make sure that her organs didn't start shutting down like Jason's had.

The ninja watched as Scarlett and Ripcord ran down the hallway and into the infirmary to help restrain Whisper. Their teammate had already ripped the stitches in her stomach three times. Charlotte didn't want to sedate her because they wanted her to wake up. As far as they knew, putting her under would only make matters worse. Waking her up would, hopefully, allow her to face reality and get better quicker. He had had to restrain her the past couple of times and he just couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't stand to pin her down and feel the muscles under her arms and legs flexing, coiling and fighting. Couldn't stand her screams that felt like she was stabbing him with ice needles in the back. Couldn't stand how her eyes wouldn't focus and looked around at everything like it was about to hurt her or kill her. But most of all, he couldn't stand how she looked at him with the fear in her eyes, like he was the devil himself, ready to murder her painfully.

Though the others couldn't see it, he felt like he himself was being killed on the inside every time she glanced at him with those gazed over, feverish eyes. He wanted to help her, but nothing seemed to work. Nothing. And it killed him every time. Every time...

* * *

><p>Scarlett held down Whisper's arms as she thrashed and screamed out curses and pleads, Ripcord holding down her legs. Both of them were fighting against her as she fought, trying to prevent her from ripping out her stitches for the fourth time. All of the other wounded Joes had to be moved into a separate part of the infirmary, leaving Whisper in isolation to prevent her from hurting herself and the others. Restraining her could be dangerous and they didn't want her slitting her wrists or hurting herself on the restrains. In her deranged state, no one knew what could happen. All they could do now was to just hope and pray and wait it out.<p>

* * *

><p>General Hawk paced his office, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. Duke leaned against the wall, watching his commanding officer. It was odd to see him this way, all anxious and tied up. Another scream sent chills down both mens' spines, and Duke felt the hair on the back of his neck raise.<p>

Hawk suddenly slammed his fist against his desk, causing Duke to jump about a foot in the air.

"Damn it all!" he said angrily, running a hand through his short hair.

Duke didn't say anything, keeping his eyes down. Hawk looked over at him.

"What are we going to do, Duke? Should we sedate her and allow her to just slip away or should we keep this up?" Hawk asked in a tired voice.

Duke was already shaking his head. "We shouldn't give up on her. Not yet, not ever. She has done much for the Joes, and the Alpha Team. Her spirit and willpower are much stronger than what her brother's was. She'll make it," he said before whispering to himself, "She has to."

Both men looked up when Scarlett and Ripcord entered the office, eyes tired and stressed.

"Whisper's calmed down," Scarlett said. "Charlotte finally decided to restrain her with velcro straps, but I personally don't think that they'll hold her down for long. She's getting more stressed and her body won't be able to take it much more. Charlotte is starting to believe that putting her under would be the best thing now."

Hawk nodded mutely. He stopped his pacing and leaned against his desk.

"Where's Snake Eyes?" he asked.

Scarlett shared a look with Ripcord before answering. "We don't know," she said. "But I do know that he has been trying to stay as far away as possible from Whisper."

All three men looked at her with widened eyes, shocked.

"Why would he want to stay away?" General Hawk asked.

"Because she always looks at him like he is about to murder her. She is terrified of him every time he steps into the room. He can't stand causing her more pain so he stays away," Scarlett answered. "Not even Macy can stay. The poor thing has been laying outside of her door and crying every time she hears Whisper scream. Bonita's the same."

Duke rubbed the bridge of his nose, much like General Hawk had been doing earlier. "What about the other animals? How are they faring?"

"They're fine for the moment. Horses are fine, but the black one, Nightlock, has been acting up. And I think that the old one, Marble, might be passing soon. She's stopped eating," Scarlett said sadly. "Shaba, Snake's lion, been hanging with the other handlers, so I asked Richard and Rose if they could train him alongside Prince and Malaika until Snake returns. Eve's training has been going smoothly with Scott, and Sasha's taken over Bonita's training with Orion for the time being until Whisper gets better."

Duke shared a sad look with Ripcord when they both realized that Scarlett hadn't said 'if Whisper got better', but they didn't push it. They were all hoping that she got better.

That's when Charlotte rushed into the office, eyes bright. "Whisper's awake," she said.

The others all raced out of the room within three seconds flat.

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><p><strong>I am sad to say that these last few chapters will be short, but hopefully they will make you guys happy. )<strong>

**By the way, I don't think that I have mentioned that there will be a second Caged. :D I am very excited to get started on it because I know that you guys will love it! I would hope at least. That and I have a feeling that you wouldn't like the wait for the second after these next few chapters come out. But until then, please enjoy the last few chapters of Caged. **

**(PS: PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS!)**

**ML out! **


	30. Life Is Full Of Surprises

**Wow! I got so many reviews on the last couple of chapters! That's what I'm talking about peoples! And now look at this! The more reviews I get, the faster I get up the next chapter! So thanks to those who have been reviewing and double thanks to those who are always reviewing. ;) **

**Hope that you enjoy this new, second to last, chapter of Caged. **

* * *

><p>Snake Eyes was already in Whisper's room, holding her hand, when the others arrived. The rest of the Alpha team crowded around Whisper's bed, careful not to jostle the bed.<p>

Whisper smiled weakly at them, her skin pale and covered in sweat.

"Hey guys," she said with another smile. "Glad to see you could join the party."

Duke chuckled softly. "Glad to see you awake. You've given us all quite the scare. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Whisper said truthfully. "But I guess that's better than dead, right?"

Snake Eyes squeezed her hand gently. She turned her head and smiled at the ninja, this one stronger than her last.

"I know Snake. I would never leave you," she said quietly so that only he would hear.

A sharp bark caught their attention. Whisper barely had time to react before Macy shoved her way through the crowd and placed her forelegs on the side of the bed, trying to reach her mistress's face with her long, pink tongue. Whisper laughed and patted the side of the bed. Macy leaped up without a seconds hesitation and lay down by her side, licking her face frantically. Everyone laughed, knowing how much the German Shepherd cared about her mistress.

After Whisper's face had been licked clean, she made a signal for Macy to stop. She did and lay her head down on her shoulder. Whisper smiled and stroked her dog.

"How are the others?" she asked.

"Lieka and Sedna went back to the tribe with Ghost. They're both fine, just some minor cuts and scratches, but they asked us to inform them once we had news about you," Scarlett answered.

Whisper nodded, resting her head back on the hospital pillows, giving a relieved sigh. "And my father?"

There was an uneasy ripple throughout the team as they all shared uneasy glances.

"Umm...he escaped Whisper. He disappeared in all the confusion," Ripcord told her.

Whisper's eyes flashed dangerously and she growled. Macy's ears shot forward, sensing her mistress's distress, and gave a little growl of her own.

Everyone in the room tensed, wondering if Whisper would go into the same rage as her brother had. When Whisper relaxed and calmed down, there was a collective sigh of relief from all of them.

"Have you guys been looking for him?" Whisper asked, her voice soft.

General Hawk nodded. "Of course," he said. "Why wouldn't we?"

Whisper shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm just a worrywart," she said.

The team shared looks with each other. Whisper never called herself a worrywart, nor was she ever one.

"What's going on Whisper? Did he do something do you? Besides the gunshot and nanomites that is," Duke said.

Whisper gave a small smile and looked up at Charlotte, who had entered the room a few minutes ago. "You didn't tell them?" she asked.

Charlotte smiled widely and chuckled. "It's not for me to share," she said with a wink.

Whisper gave a sigh, and with a wide smile on her face, looked over the others before keeping her gaze on Snake Eyes, her own silver eyes glowing with delight.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't want you worrying. Remember when we were in Australia?" she asked him, knowing that he would pick up what she was saying.

Slowly, Snake Eyes nodded. _Of course I remember. But what would that have to do with...? _He stopped mid-sign, as if in shock. _Wait...you mean...?_ He couldn't even finish the sentence.

Whisper nodded, her smile widening. "Yes."

The others were completely lost.

"What is it for crying out loud?" Ripcord asked, looking like he was about to lose his mind, Duke included.

Whisper looked over at the others. "I'm pregnant," she told them. "Snake's the father."

There was absolute silence for who knows how long. Then, Scarlett was smiling and rushing over to Whisper, giving her a big hug. "I can't believe it!" she said. "Congrats to the both of you!"

Ripcord clapped Snake Eyes on the back, grinning. "Congrats, Snake. You'll make a great father," he said.

Duke did the same, giving Whisper a small hug as well.

General Hawk just stood there, grinning like a schoolboy. "Looks like we'll be adding to the family," he said with a laugh.

Whisper nodded, still smiling. Everything was perfect.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Whisper was allowed to go back to her own room. She smiled brightly when she saw Bonita laying on the ground, sleeping. The grizzly was almost fully grown, her fur shaggy, but well-kept. She was now about four hundred pounds or so and was made of pure muscle. Whisper sat down next to her, stroking the bear. Bonita looked up and gave a growl of happiness, rubbing her nose in Whisper's face. Whisper chuckled and hugged the bear's neck.<p>

"Hey. I missed you too," she said softly, tears prickling in her eyes. She had been worried about her animals. She loved them dearly.

She must have fallen asleep because she opened her eyes to someone gently shaking her shoulder to wake her up. She grumbled, burying her head back into Bonita's fur, slipping back into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Whisper blinked open her eyes with a heavy sigh. She sat up, and paused. She was in bed. Last she remembered, she had been on the floor with Bonita. She looked around. Bonita was gone. Whisper smiled slightly. Snake Eyes had probably taken her for training with Shaba and the others.<p>

Whisper slipped out of bed and stretched, wincing slightly when the skin around her bullet wound pulled against the stitches. Then she went to take a hot shower, not remembering when she had last taken one. Probably not since they had been to Australia, she realized.

The hot water felt amazing on her tired, sleepy muscles. Whisper sighed happily, just standing in the water for who knew how long, just letting the water run down her body. She rubbed at her stomach, already feeling the tiny bump that was starting to form. She smiled happily, a warm feeling spreading throughout her entire body.

Once she was done with her shower, she quickly dressed in a tank top and loose sweatpants and stepped out of her room, feeling better than she had in weeks.

First off, she headed towards her private training room. She went over to the wall and ran a hand over the symbol that was there.

"I wish you were here Jason. I wish that you and Will were both here," she whispered. "I have a new codename now. Viper just didn't suit me anymore. Whisper suits me much better in my opinion. Dad tried to change me like he did you, but it didn't work. Charlotte changed the formula of the serum that was used on you. It mostly worked. I didn't tell Snake Eyes this, but Charlotte said that the nanomites weren't fully destroyed. There were a few that went dormant so that the serum wouldn't destroy them. And she didn't want to give me the serum again because she says that I was lucky that it didn't harm me the way it did you. We didn't want to test fate. I guess you're wondering what this means." Whisper gave a small chuckle. "Mostly it means that I'll have attacks every now and again for when the serum finds the nanomites. I just hope that it wouldn't happen when times are important. And I hope that the nanomites wouldn't hurt the baby. If they do, I am going to kill our father. First you, then Will. I won't let him take my child away from me. I hope that you understand Jason. It feels good to talk to you again. It's been too long," Whisper finished softly. She let her hand drop from the wall and turned around, leaving the room behind.

* * *

><p>Whisper entered the training area and was greeted with smiles and warm welcomes all around. She smiled back and accepted hugs from all. Everyone was glad to see that she was alright. She was guessing that they had heard about her pregnancy, seeing that most people were looking down at her stomach to see if they could detect a baby bump. She smiled inwardly and went over to the boxing rink, watching as Snake Eyes took down another opponent. Bonita gave a small huff of greeting, sitting down next to the other grizzly bear, Orion. Like Bonita, the other grizzly had grown. He almost looked similar to Bonita, but was much larger and more muscular than her.<p>

Whisper smiled at the duo before turning back to watch Snake Eyes. Her life was perfect. Nothing would ruin it for her. Not now. Not ever.


	31. Nothing

**LOL! I can tell that I have most of you shocked from my latest chapter! That's good. It makes me feel good that I have managed to pull up a surprise on you guys. ;) Well, this is it. The last and final chapter of Caged. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually crying, I am so sad at seeing it end. :'(. **

**But, at least it means that the second one will be out all the sooner. So, enjoy my faithful readers, the last chapter of Caged.**

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><p>Whisper sat down with a tired sigh, using a hand towel to wipe the sweat from her brow. Every morning for the past couple of months, she had been making sure to exercise and keep herself in shape. That wasn't working out so well now that she was well into her third trimester. She was confident that her baby would arrive within the next couple of weeks.<p>

The past few months had pretty much flown by. Whisper had kept up with her training, with Snake Eyes of course. That is, until Charlotte had forced her to stop for the sake of her child, much to Whisper's annoyance. After that, the pounds had just piled as her belly slowly, but surely expanded. She felt like an elephant now, lugging around her gigantic belly.

Whisper sipped at her water as she watched Snake Eyes arrive with a couple of newbies that he was training. She chuckled as he gave her a glance and she smiled to him. She leaned back slightly in her seat, observing Snake Eyes has he threw newbie after newbie to the ground. She had to wince slightly when he tossed one of the newbies a little harder than usual, but then again, he was the one who hadn't been paying attention. Instead, he had been staring at her large belly.

Whisper chuckled again and watched for a few minutes longer before sliding off of her seat and onto the floor. Macy, who had been laying nearby, suddenly gave a small whimper and stood up, racing into the hallway. Whisper gave a small frown before the pain hit. She gave a gasp, dropping her water bottle. Water splashed all on the floor, and not all of it from her water bottle. Her own water now soaked her pants. She looked up, eyes filled with excitement and fear.

"Snake!" she called out, giving another gasp as a second contraction hit. The ninja was at her side in seconds, motioning to his students to get Charlotte. Fortunately, someone had already planned ahead. Macy raced back into the room, Charlotte at her heels. The German Shepherd gave a small woof, wagging her tail in pride.

Whisper managed a small smile before turning her attention to Charlotte. "It's too early," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Charlotte gave a small nod absentmindedly, placing a hand on Whisper's stomach. "Yeah, she's in labor," she told Snake and started to lead Whisper towards the infirmary.

* * *

><p>Whisper gave another shout of pain as an additional contraction ran down her stomach. It had been almost half an hour since her water had broken and the contractions had started. Charlotte had refused entry to the rest of the Alpha Team, only allowing Snake Eyes to stay. He now held Whisper's hand, giving her small squeezes of reassurance and encouragement.<p>

Whisper's eyes rolled slightly in fear, but the touch of excitement was still there. Sweat covered her skin and she was panting heavily now, chest heaving. She looked over at Snake Eyes and managed to flash him a quick smile before the next contraction hit. She whimpered, her instincts telling her to start pushing. Her eyes flashed over to Charlotte, who nodded. Whisper leaned back into the pillows, knowing that she only had a few minutes before the next contraction. She waited out those minutes panting and trying to recover the breath that she would need. As soon as she felt it coming on, she pushed with the contraction, feeling as her abdominal muscles pushed against the baby.

"That's it Whisper! Almost there! It's crowning," Charlotte told her, watching from between Whisper's legs as she pushed.

With another cry of pain, Whisper's baby was finally born. She collapsed against the pillows, breathing heavily. The sound of a baby crying started to bring forth her maternal instincts and she immediately looked over at Charlotte, who now held the newborn.

Charlotte smiled at the new mother. "Congratulations Whisper. You have a health baby girl," she said before looking over at Snake Eyes. "You want to cut the umbilical cord?" she asked him.

Snake Eyes gave a small nod and went over to Charlotte and took the scissors from her before cutting his newborn daughter free from Whisper. Then, Charlotte wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Snake. The ninja seemed to be shellshocked, just watching his daughter. Whisper smiled and went to relax for the first time in nine months before a sudden contraction hit.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed, sitting back up. Charlotte hurried over, once again placing a hand on Whisper's still large abdomen. Her eyes widened and she looked over at Whisper.

Whisper immediately started shaking her head. "You can't be serious!" she said before her words were torn from her and another contraction hit.

"I'm afraid that I am serious, Whisper," Charlotte said, resuming her position by Whisper.

Snake Eyes, bewildered at the change of events, set the newborn in the incubator that sat nearby, and went over to Charlotte, signing as fast as his hands would allow him.

_What's going on?_

Charlotte looked up at Snake Eyes. "Looks like Whisper had more than one bun in the oven," she said before her attention was turned back to Whisper.

Another few minutes later, the second girl was born.

"Twins," Whisper said softly, tears in her eyes. Snake Eyes lay the first baby girl into Whisper's arms and she felt the bonds between them strengthening. She kissed the little girl on the forehead, whispering softly to her. Snake Eyes held the second girl, rocking slightly.

Charlotte had left the room to give the news to the Alpha Team. Hoots and hollers of joy echoed in the hallway and Whisper laughed.

She looked up at Snake Eyes. "What should we name them?" she asked him.

Snake Eyes fingerspelled out a name with his free hand.

_G-R-I-F-F-I-N_

"Griffin?" Whisper asked, looking up at the girl in his arms.

Snake Eyes nodded and Whisper smiled.

"I love it," she said before looking down at the girl in her own arms. "And what do you think of the name Sasha?"

Snake Eyes gave a happy nod and looked up at Charlotte finally allowed the rest of the Alpha Team into the room, all of them smiling broadly.

"Congrats you two! Twins! Who would believe it?" Ripcord asked, wrapping an arm around Scarlett's waist.

Duke nodded. "Congrats from all of us," he said. "We know that you two will make great parents."

Whisper smiled. "Thanks. And I know that you guys will make great teachers for them," she said truthfully.

Nods and grins from all around. Life was perfect.

But still, one thing still bothered her. Had her father somehow heard about her pregnancy? Would he come after her children to take his revenge on her and her team?

Whisper shook her head, getting rid of those awful thoughts, and looked around at the beaming faces around her. These people were her family now. Nothing was going to hurt her children. Nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END!<strong>

**LOL! JK! The second part will deal with Griffin's and Sasha's lives. Here is the summary for the second part of Caged called "Caged 2: Ghost Runner":**

**_Cobra Commander is back and he's not alone. With him, he has brought forth a new technology called Ghost Runner, which he plans to go after the Joes with, especially his "rouge" daughter Whisper and her new husband, Snake Eyes, along with their twin daughters, Sasha and Griffin. How will the twins fare when their parents suddenly disappear into thin air on a mission? And what secrets has their mother and father been keeping from them all this time?_ **

**DUNDUNDUN! So, this isn't over after all. The new story will be up within December, that I can promise, and maybe even sooner. Until then, enjoy and review. Until next time,**

**ML out! **


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